Frozen Seas
by Raj Sound
Summary: When the Snow Queen's goodwill tour takes an unexpected detour, Elsa forms an alliance with some strange bedfellows. A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues on the high seas and the future of two nations hangs in the balance.
1. Love Letters

There were one hundred and twenty-seven letters scattered around the Elsa's desk. What started as a manageable stack of a dozen or so messages had quickly evolved into a hopeless mess that the young queen had no idea what to do with. The letters themselves were as varied in their tone and content as they were their origin. Some were confident, even boastful. Some were plaintive, borderline desperate. In spite of their superficial differences, they all shared a similar purpose. It seemed every available baron, duke, prince, king, and even one very bold princess in the region had a common goal. To wed the Queen of Arendelle.

Elsa wasn't quite sure what to do with this newfound popularity. She'd embraced the love and affection of her sister easily enough after the Great Thaw, and she was still amazed at how quickly her people had warmed to her, given the circumstances. The idea that complete strangers, people she'd never met from places she'd never even heard of wanted to marry her seemed absurd.

Elsa reluctantly sat at her desk, staring out the window as she tried to figure out a way to let down _Prince What's His Name_ from _Can't Remember Where_ easily. She hoped, guiltily, that Anna, Olaf, or some other distraction would take advantage of the kingdom's open door policy and pry her away from her imposing task. She stared intently at the blank parchment, blinking one, two, three times and then…

"Hello? Earth to Elsa?"

"Whoziwazgoinon?" Elsa mumbled incoherently. She recovered from her slump, cringing as she noticed waning light cascading over her parchment, still blank save for a rather unqueenly drool stain in its bottom right corner. As she turned she was greeted by a pair of auburn braids, which led up to a knowing smirk.

"More love letters?" Anna asked, making no effort to hide the massive grin on her face.

Elsa scowled as she stretched against the back of her chair. "That's a rather generous way of putting it. This letter," she said, pointing to the nearest scroll, "is from the Queen of Fenwick. Apparently her son Albert is a very nice, very handsome boy who is painfully shy and just the tiniest bit obsessed with flying kites, but I shouldn't let that stop me, because we'd get along oh so well and make such a beautiful couple."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"The man is fifty-eight," Elsa deadpanned.

"Yikes," Anna whispered. "Well, at least he's young at heart, right?"

"Anna, what am I going to do with all of these? It seems so, cold to just dismiss them out of hand. But the truth is I have absolutely no interest in any of them," Elsa groaned.

"Even Princess Ellen?" Anna asked with a smirk.

Elsa laughed. "Even Princess Ellen," she replied.

She walked toward the window, gazing out over the sea as the sun began to merge with it on the horizon. Elsa had a habit of taking her time to find the right words to express herself and through trial and error over the last year, Anna had learned to oblige her.

"For a long time, I never imagined that I could…be with anyone," Elsa said quietly. "Hiding my powers from my sister and my people was hard enough. But a husband? Impossible."

She gazed out the window, watching the sun recede in the distance as twilight descended over Arendelle.

"I just assumed that love, any kind of love, was something I simply couldn't have," she explained sadly. "So I tried not to think about it. Tried to put it out of my mind, just like everything else that was important to me."

"And now?" Anna asked gently.

"I want what you have with Kristoff. Someone that will love me for who I am. Not for my powers, or in spite of my powers. Not for my title or my kingdom. Just…me," Elsa said with a small smile.

"I want that for you too," Anna replied warmly. She wrapped her older sister up in her arms, enjoying the warmth of familial affection she'd been denied for over a decade. Elsa squeezed her back, glad that for the first time in forever, she had someone to confide in.

"Well, Elsa it looks like you're going to break a lot of hearts," Anna remarked with mock sadness.

"I am the Snow Queen. I have a reputation to maintain after all," Elsa said loftily.

"Speaking of which. Do you want to build a snowman?" Anna asked, already knowing the answer.

"I thought you'd never ask."

##############################

Meetings of the High Council of Arendelle appeared to be a special sort of torture invented purely for the misery of its princess. Elsa led these meetings following her coronation, and while Anna's place there was purely ceremonial, she made a point to be both present and mostly awake in order to support the young queen.

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," Kai announced as Elsa entered the room.

Everyone stood in unison except Anna, who was about a half second late on her cue and somehow managed to knock her chair down in the process. Either no one noticed, or they all made a point to pretend not to as Kai quickly replaced the fallen chair. The sisters shared a quick smile as Elsa entered the room clad in her trademark ice dress. She gestured for everyone to take their seats after taking her place at the head of the table, greeting the Prime Minister and the various other officials in attendance politely.

It took about three minutes for Anna's mind to wander as the conversation shifted toward trade prospects and tax policy. She recalled a recent excursion with Kristoff, one that included a surprisingly romantic picnic at the edge of the fjord. The man had a sentimental streak about him, no doubt a result of being raised by the self-proclaimed love experts.

The memory reminded Anna of the previous evening's discussion regarding her sister's romantic prospects. She was both amused and a little concerned. Elsa's self-deprecating attitude was certainly disarming, but Anna worried that hidden underneath it was a significant degree of residual insecurity. Old habits die hard after all and Anna knew that her sister still worried every day about what other people thought of her and her powers.

Anna perked up after receiving a gentle, _pay attention Anna,_ nudge from Elsa. The meeting was about to come to a close. The princess sat up straight, trying to mirror her sister's grace and dignity as Prime Minister Andersen began to speak.

"There is one final bit of business we'd like to discuss before we adjourn Your Majesty. It is a bit, delicate if I may say so, but I fear it is of considerable importance."

"Go on," the queen replied.

"I understand that you have received a considerable number of courtship proposals from various members of the foreign aristocracy over the last several months," Andersen began.

Elsa sighed. She wasn't surprised that the subject had come up but she still didn't care to discuss it.

"That is correct," she said evenly.

"And I understand you have yet to respond to any of these proposals," he continued.

"Also correct," Elsa replied.

The Prime Minister nodded approvingly. "I am glad to hear it. The political ramifications of a possible union between Arendelle and any other nation are considerable to say the least. I am grateful for your discretion Your Majesty."

"What sort of political ramifications are you referring to Minister?" Elsa asked. She understood the typical geopolitical impact of royal unions, but she suspected that the Prime Minister wasn't referring to those.

"We are, to be perfectly honest, a nation of relatively little consequence to the rest of the world," Andersen explained. "We are small, prosperous, but not exceedingly so. We do not possess any territory of any strategic value, nor resources of any global consequence. In short, we are utterly unremarkable save for one respect."

With that remark, everything clicked into place. A year ago she might have said _my powers _or even, _the curse_. She no longer thought of them in those terms, opting instead to embrace her abilities as a part of her very person.

"Me," Elsa stated simply.

"Yes Your Majesty. Your powers have attracted a great deal of interest, for better or worse," the Prime Minister said delicately.

"I noticed," Elsa replied wryly. Anna tried, and failed, to keep a straight face beside her.

"Of course. However, what your would-be suitors may have failed to mention was how exactly your abilities are perceived outside of Arendelle's borders. You see, each of the dignitaries that were present for your coronation last summer brought back their own unique reports of the events that followed back to their homeland. Some were more prone to embellishment than others, Weasletown in particular."

"Naturally," Elsa replied scathingly. She was not under the illusion that the Duke's rather undignified departure from Arendelle the previous year would be without consequence, especially once she elected to cut off trade between the two nations.

The Prime Minister continued. "Reports became rumors. Rumors became stories. Stories became legends. As a result, half the world is looking to add the legendary Snow Queen to their arsenal and the other half is looking to…deny them that advantage," he said apologetically.

To her credit, Anna had remained quiet throughout the entire meeting up to this point. That was over. "Are you saying that people want to _kill _my sister?" she shouted.

"I am saying that there are people who are fearful of the notion of a sorceress queen, and that fear can cause people to do…terrible things," Andersen said gravely.

"Elsa would never hurt anyone," Anna protested.

"With all due respect Princess, it does not matter what we know, it matters what others believe. Perception is everything, and with Weasletown spreading all manner of nasty rumor, you can imagine how difficult it is for people from a distant land to separate fact from fiction."

"He's right Anna," Elsa conceded dejectedly. "I didn't exactly make the best impression at my coronation." Ice slowly crept from her seat at the table and coated the surface, proving her point.

"So make a new one. Show people that they have nothing to be afraid of," Anna insisted.

"How?" Elsa asked.

"You know, she might be on to something Your Majesty," Andersen said thoughtfully. "If you were to conduct a benign public demonstration of your abilities, that might dispel some of our neighbors' concerns. A goodwill tour of sorts."

"Yeah! Something fun, like the skating rink you made in the courtyard. Or ice sculptures! Or a snowball fight! Or Olaf! You could show them Olaf! No scary ice witch would ever create a summer-loving, warm hug-giving, living snowman," Anna cried enthusiastically.

"He would make an interesting ambassador," Elsa mused.

"A bit of harmless fun could go a long way. Might even win over a few hearts and minds in the process," Andersen added.

It could work. It was a little bit crazy, but it could work. Elsa managed to win over her own people with such a display. Perhaps others could be persuaded in a similar manner.

"It's settled then. Kai, please prepare a ship. Prime minister, ensure that my sister receives all the required documents and materials after we adjourn. By the authority vested in me as Queen of Arendelle, I hereby name Princess Anna, Queen Regent in my absence. She will rule in my place until I return," Elsa pronounced.

Anna cheered happily, overjoyed that she had finally managed to contribute something useful to a council meeting and utterly failing to internalize the implications of this plan until Elsa's announcement. Somewhere between, "Queen Regent," and, "return," it came to her.

"Wait, what?"

##############################

The prospect of traveling by ship was not one either of the royal sisters were particularly happy about, although Elsa was slightly more rational about it. Overland travel was statistically more dangerous than travel by sea, not to mention considerably slower. Still, the queen's departure had taken on a particularly solemn tone. Arendelle's former King and Queen were lost only four years prior and this would be the first time another monarch set sail since their passing.

"It'll be ok Anna. It's just a few weeks," Elsa said emphatically. She was no longer certain who she was trying to convince.

"That's what they said," Anna replied in a small un-Anna like voice.

Elsa sighed. She was dangerously close to freezing the entire pier, but she knew how desperately her sister needed her to be brave for both of them. She owed Anna that much. "I know. Anna, listen to me," Elsa said, taking Anna's hands into her own. "I am coming back to you. I promise. Even if I have to freeze the entire ocean and _walk_ home, I will come back to you. I promise."

Anna choked out something between a laugh and a sob. "Ok, I believe you," she said, wiping her eyes.

Elsa pulled her into a deep embrace, trying to draw in enough sisterly warmth to sustain her through the journey. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too."

Reluctantly, the royal sisters released their grip. Elsa resumed her queenly posture, offering her hand to Kristoff. It was a bit formal for them, but it seemed appropriate under the circumstances. "Take care of my sister," Elsa said simply as she shook his hand.

"Always, Your Majesty," Kristoff replied earnestly.

"Olaf, keep an eye on Elsa," Anna instructed.

"Ok! Just one eye, or two?" Olaf asked eagerly. "I should probably do two, since I tried looking at a butterfly and a flower at same time the other day and it was fine for a while, but then the butterfly flew away from the flower and it kept going farther and farther and then I got all cross-eyed and dizzy and I lost track of the butterfly and fell down on the flower…"

As entertaining as _The Tale of the Butterfly and the Flower_ was, it was time to get underway. Elsa got it one last squeeze with Anna for good measure and even went as far to give Kristoff a friendly hug as well. She gave a quick look back as she boarded the HMS Sherwood and was pleased to see that there was only a little worry in Anna's eyes. She closed her eyes as she felt the ship shift under feet, only opening them when she felt a few sticks gently grasp her clenched fist.

Olaf. Elsa was glad Anna talked her into bringing him. Olaf had the uncanny ability to embrace any new experience with a childlike wonder and enthusiasm. It was downright infectious, enough so that Elsa was able to open her eyes and see that the ship was still on top of the water.

She looked back at the docks, which were quickly shrinking into the distance. Elsa watched with amusement, waving demurely as Anna waved back with growing enthusiasm. Her humor gave way to alarm as she watched Anna lean precariously off the pier as she waved, but she couldn't help but laugh as Kristoff swooped in at the last second to keep her sister from tumbling head first into the water.

"Don't ever change Anna," she said with a smile.

##############################

"I spy something…blue," Olaf said.

"Is it…the ocean?" Elsa asked, trying to suppress a grin.

"It is! Wow. You're really good at this game," Olaf replied with awe.

Elsa giggled. Olaf had spied the ocean dozens of times over the course of their journey, but Elsa didn't have the heart to the little snowman that the game was wasted on the ocean. The repetition was a little tedious, but it helped distract her from her own concerns about travel by ship. She nearly slipped back into her, "Conceal, don't feel," mantra as Arendelle disappeared into the horizon and ice started creeping into the deck, but playing games with Olaf and other such distractions kept her from dwelling on darker thoughts.

The trip turned out to be pretty uneventful, downright boring at times. Elsa wondered what Anna and Kristoff were up to, how Kai, Gerda, and the rest of the staff were getting on, and whether the Council was maintaining some semblance of decorum with her sister playing referee. It occurred to her that this trip was the first thing she had embarked upon resembling a vacation since her coronation, panicked flights to the North Mountain notwithstanding. She resolved to enjoy herself, get to know the people she met along the way, and maybe even make a friend or two.

"I spy something…blue," Olaf said again slowly.

"Ocean," Elsa replied quickly.

"You got it. You know, we might have to find a new game. This one's getting kind of old," the snowman lamented.

Elsa secretly agreed. She was starting to get a little stir crazy. At least she had books during her years of isolation, but she had foolishly forgotten to bring any with her. She tried chatting up the crew, but one of the more pervasive drawbacks of being a queen was the fact that her subjects found it nearly impossible to talk to her like an actual human being. Not one sailor had managed to say anything more insightful than a variation of, "Beautiful weather, Your Majesty. Should be smooth sailing." Elsa wondered if non-magical monarchs had to deal with the same issue.

It wasn't like they had nothing to say. Every now and then she'd hear an uproar of laughter, even singing from time to time, which never failed to go quiet the moment the young queen approached. A year ago Elsa would have assumed the men were afraid of her. She knew better of it now, but along with that knowledge came the understanding that her people looked at her with a certain degree of reverence, one that her powers served to magnify. They were devoted to her, took joy in her presence, and even loved her in their own way. But when it came down to it, she wasn't one of them and they never forgot it.

"Ooh, ooh! I spy something…red!" Olaf announced with glee, shaking Elsa out of her reflections.

"Red?" Elsa wondered. That was new. She conjured an icicle identical to the frozen telescope she'd given to her snowy companion and peered through it. Sure enough, a set of rust colored stone spires peered over the horizon. Elsa had never seen them before, but she knew them by reputation alone.

"King's Landing."


	2. The Goodwill Tour

King's Landing was like nothing Elsa had ever seen before. Growing up in solitude made even small crowds somewhat intimidating to the young queen. She doubted she'd ever be the social butterfly her sister was, but she was growing more comfortable being amidst her people every day. But this, this was something else entirely.

She could see the throng milling around the town center all the way from the docks. People flooded every square foot of the streets, each one moving with a sort of grim determination the young queen assumed came from trying desperately not to be trampled underfoot. The simple act of walking down the street looked positively terrifying.

A squad of soldiers waited at attention for the Sherwood as she docked. Elsa wondered how long they'd been waiting. Their uniforms looked rather uncomfortable, heavy wool coats, blood red with gold trim and buttons. Royal army by the look of them. They stared intently as she and Olaf disembarked, followed by the small security detail Prime Minister Anderson convinced her to bring along.

A thin man with short black hair emerged from the masses, appearing almost out of thin air. He was meticulously dressed, wearing a crisp leather coat with a dark fur trim adorned with bright gold buttons. Both his beard and his hair were marked with flecks of grey and though he wore a friendly smile, his eyes did not match its warmth. He looked Elsa up and down in an unnerving manner, as though he was appraising a fine piece of artwork.

"Greetings Queen Elsa. Lord Revan, at your service. On behalf of King Logan, please allow me to welcome you to King's Landing. It is an honor to finally meet the legendary Snow Queen," Lord Revan said with great flourish.

"Pleasure to meet you Lord Revan," Elsa replied with a curtsey.

"And what is this strange creature?" Revan asked, glancing down at Olaf.

"This is Olaf. He's a talking snowman," Elsa said matter-of-factly. She had yet to find a more delicate way to put it.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Olaf said enthusiastically.

"Interesting," Lord Revan replied. Olaf seemed to sense that the man did not, in fact, care much for warm hugs, so he remained by Elsa's side, twiddling what passed as his thumbs. Elsa was a little surprised at the lord's reaction, or lack thereof. People usually reacted to seeing Olaf for the first time with either intense fascination or severe alarm. Revan appeared oddly indifferent.

"Well, I'm sure you're exhausted from your long journey. Please allow me to escort you to the Fairfax Hall. King Logan is eager to meet you," Revan offered. He gave a curt nod to the soldiers behind him. They split into two lines, flanking the lord on each side to clear a path through the crowd. Elsa followed suit, with Olaf and her own guards in tow.

Elsa decided that she didn't care much for Lord Revan. He acted kindly enough, but it seemed to be just that, an act. There was something decidedly oily about him, and she had the feeling the man was the sort that would as soon kiss your feet as stab you in the back. Though her personal interaction with Prince Hans was limited, she got a similar impression. This was not a man to be trusted.

The crowd dispersed the moment Elsa and Revan made their way down the street. Only a few stragglers remained on the side of the road, staring solemnly at the procession as they marched by. There was a strange tension in the air, a tension that Elsa quickly realized she was the cause of. Even Olaf was uncharacteristically silent, keeping his typically outer-inner monologue to himself as he took in the sights.

Elsa's eyes met those of a beggar kneeling at the corner of the street. Against her better judgment, the young queen broke ranks to approach to older woman, reaching for her coin purse as she walked. She didn't get within ten feet before the old woman's eyes grew wide with fear and she leapt up, shuffling away as quickly as her worn joints could carry her. Elsa felt frost coat her fingertips as she quietly accepted this defeat and rejoined Olaf and Revan.

_Is this what they think of me?_

##############################

Anna was not enjoying her first week as Queen Regent. While Elsa had done her best to ensure the bulk of her daily workload was effectively delegated to more qualified parties, it still left the young princess with an imposing stack of paperwork, one that grew larger the more she procrastinated. Kristoff did his best to help her, but sadly the Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer was woefully unqualified to do anything more than deliver more paperwork.

Then there were the meetings. _The meetings._ Anna thought it was bad enough before, when at least Elsa was there to cool people's heads as the old men grew incensed over how high tariffs on cinnamon should be or whether the post office should be renamed after some obscure royal ancestor.

Anna decided to tackle these problems head on, or rather by ignoring them and hoping that they went away. She envied Elsa's patience, focus, and discipline. Anna was incredibly grateful that her ascendance to the throne was only temporary. At least this time she managed to keep at the job for more than five minutes before handing over the kingdom to a regicidal stranger. The princess, or rather the queen regent, made a mental note to remind her sister of what an amazing queen she was the moment she returned.

Anna decided it was time to blow off a little steam. Kristoff wholeheartedly supported the idea, as she had been, his words, "a little moody," lately and any opportunity for her to vent her frustrations were certainly welcome.

Well, almost any.

"Fencing lessons," Kristoff said, a mixture of skepticism and apprehension coloring his tone.

"Yeah, apparently due to my 'unorthodox childhood,'" Anna air-quoted, "I missed out on a lot of the _How to be a Proper Princess_ lessons. Fencing included."

"Fencing," Kristoff repeated. "With a sword."

"Yes with a sword," Anna repeated slowly. "Why is there something wrong with that?"

Kristoff sighed. Talking Anna out of doing something once she's set her mind to it was about as futile pushing a boulder up a cliff. Still, in the interest of protecting his beloved, keeping his promise to the queen, as well as avoiding his own personal Eternal Winter, he felt obligated to try. "Anna, I say this because I love you and because your sister told me to take care of you. Are you crazy?" he asked loudly.

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked defensively.

"You're clumsy!" Kristoff shouted. "Like, really, really, clumsy."

"I'm not that clumsy," Anna insisted. At that moment, a dozen accidents, some from childhood, some from adulthood, and one from just this morning flashed before her eyes. The last one wasn't even her fault. Those shingles were ancient and in desperate need of repair. She was really doing everyone a favor when she fell through the roof. And onto Kai. Who was carrying two buckets of paint at the time.

"Ok, maybe I'm a little clumsy," she admitted reluctantly.

Just as Kristoff saw the slightest glimmer of hope, a man sporting two rapiers and a very impressive moustache stood before the couple.

"Good Morning, Your Majesty," the man offered in a thick accent Kristoff couldn't place. "Major Bellamy, at your service. Are you ready for the lesson?"

"Absolutely!" Anna answered in her best tough-girl voice. "I am _ready_ to go."

"Well you certainly have spirit," he chuckled. "Have you studied swordplay Princess?"

"I picked up a few tips from my pal Joan," Anna swaggered. "Just stick em' with the pointy end, right?"

"Joan? As in Joan the painting?" Kristoff demanded, panicking.

"Yes, that is the gist of it. Come, come. There's no time to waste," the major clucked, leading Anna into the training room.

"Bye Kristoff! See you after class!" Anna waved as the door closed behind her.

Kristoff stood staring at the door for a moment, wondering who as in more danger, the student or the teacher. Though no one was there to listen or care, he came to a conclusion.

"Somebody's got to tell him."

##############################

Elsa was relieved when they finally passed through the gates of Fairfax Castle. She was still reeling from the rather frosty reception she received from the townsfolk. Snow Queen or no, Elsa's people skills were definitely somewhat lacking. It seemed a year of open gates did not undo a lifetime of habit.

It wasn't the first time Elsa wished she was more like her sister. While she wasn't the most graceful person in the world and definitely not the most patient, Anna was so confident, so comfortable in her own skin that the queen sometimes wondered if the wrong sister was on the throne.

She was surprised by the number of guards present on the castle grounds. There were more redcoats than she could count, each as stony faced and severe as the last. Elsa suspected the soldiers on the castle grounds alone easily outnumbered Arendelle's entire military. It seemed King Logan was putting on a show of his own.

Hurry up and wait seemed to be the theme of the day. Although exhaustion from the long voyage was starting to take its toll, Elsa was far too anxious to even think of sleep. "Security precautions," Lord Revan assured her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. There was an entire army at the king's beck and call. How much more security could they need?

Mercifully, Lord Revan finally brought her to the door to the main hall, where she waited to be announced. She considered bringing Olaf in along with her, but ultimately decided to warm up the crowd a bit before bringing in the little snowman. After all, most people didn't know magic even existed before rumors of the Snow Queen swept the world scene and Olaf wasn't exactly subtle.

The herald nodded, giving Elsa her cue. She returned it, trying to keep her face as blank as possible. _Ok Elsa. Put on a show._

"Your Majesty, ladies and gentlemen, Queen Elsa of Arendelle," the herald announced.

For the first time, Elsa felt self-conscious about the glittering ice dress that was now her mainstay, wondering if she should have adopted something less conspicuous. Passing by King Logan's court did little to soothe Elsa's nerves. Instead of a group of strangers silently staring at her, she was treated to a group of strangers whispering and pointing while they stared at her.

_Make one wrong move and everyone..._ She banished the thought, along with the impulse to run for the nearest mountain. The whole point of this endeavor was to show people that they had nothing to fear from her. How could she convince them if she didn't believe it herself?

_Think of Anna._ It warmed her, at least enough to get started.

"King Logan, lords and ladies, members of the court, thank you so much for the warm welcome. It is an honor to be a guest in your beautiful home," Elsa said with a respectful curtsey.

This was the first time Elsa had met the King of the Westlands. He was not present at her coronation, and to the best of her knowledge his country had not sent a delegate in his place. Rumor had it that the Westlands were facing some turbulent times of their own, rumors the security delays seemed to substantiate.

"Pleasure to meet you Queen Elsa," King Logan said with a slight nod.

The king wasn't much older than Elsa, his coronation taking place only a few years prior to Elsa's, although one would never know it to look at him. He was handsome enough, or at least he was at one point. The king was thin, almost gaunt, hollow cheeks and stern eyes that aged him prematurely. He looked so burdened, so worn down, as if he shouldered the weight of the whole world and it was taking its toll. Elsa scolded herself a little for being so melodramatic. Clearly she wasn't the only one with problems.

"My name is Elsa, although I know most of you know me as the Snow Queen. It's a name I'm fond of, but there are certain rumors that go along with it that I need to address," Elsa began diplomatically.

Just as she was getting to the heart of her carefully prepared speech, Olaf came running into the room, way ahead of his cue. Elsa stifled a groan as the crowd gasped at the snowman, reacting as expected. She made a mental note to rehearse next time, assuming there would be a next time.

"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Olaf grinned as he waved to the crowd.

The entire court gasped at the appearance of the snowman. He smiled eagerly, expecting someone, anyone to come up and greet him. A single cricket was the only sound in the entire hall, assuming Elsa hadn't simply imagined it.

"Tough crowd," Olaf stage-whispered to the queen after a few moments of silence.

Elsa racked her brain, desperately trying recall what she practiced in front of the mirror, or at least string together a logical series of words. _Say something! Anything! Something…queenish!_

Just as Elsa was about to dart out of the room like a deranged squirrel, a small miracle happened. A little boy, maybe six or seven escaped from his mother's grasp and approached Olaf. He gazed curiously at the snowman for a moment, then offered him an object. A ball.

"You wanna play?" the boy asked.

"Sure!" Olaf replied.

And with that, the boy and the snowman ran off, completely oblivious to everyone in the room as they tossed the ball back and forth. Suddenly the ice that was filling Elsa's bloodstream and threatening to coat the entire hall against her will faded away. Elsa laughed, marveling at just how effective a goodwill ambassador Olaf really was.

It was like unplugging a drain. Suddenly the words came naturally. Not the meticulously prepared sermon she'd been practicing for the last several days. Elsa just spoke form the heart, finally remembering the last bit of advice Anna had given her before her departure.

_Just be yourself._ Was it really that simple?

"So, that was Olaf," she said with a fond smile. "He's a snowman. I made him, well technically my sister and I made him together, but I'm the one that brought him to life."

"Cool!" another child chimed in.

"How'd you do that?" another asked.

"I'm not really sure," Elsa replied honestly.

"Can you really make it snow?"

"Would you like me to?" Elsa asked with a grin.

The rest of the children and a few of the adults all chimed in support. Elsa looked to King Logan, who nodded with approval.

A sphere of glittering ice materialized between Elsa's hands. Tossing them up with that Anna affectionately called the Snow Queen Flourish, the snowball rocketed toward the ceiling, bursting into a million tiny crystals, which slowly floated down all over the hall.

"This is amazing!" one of the children squealed.

Elsa was on a roll. She coated the pillars and filigree with sparkling crystals, even go so far as to redecorate King Logan's throne with him in it. An impromptu snowball fight broke out amidst the children, all pretense of decorum lost to Ela's winter wonderland.

Members of the court approached the young queen, their formerly stoic faces now animated with curiosity and astonishment.

"Is it true you have a frozen fortress in the mountains Your Majesty?" one lord asked.

"Where did you get your dress Your Majesty?" a lady inquired.

"Can you make Santa Claus come early?" a child added.

"I did make an ice palace up on the North Mountain. As for the dress, I made it myself. And no little one, I don't really have any say over Santa Claus, sorry," Elsa replied warmly.

"Is it true you froze your entire kingdom?" a familiar voice inquired. Elsa figured she'd have to answer that question eventually and she wasn't at all surprised that Lord Revan was doing that asking.

"It's true," the queen sighed. "I did accidently freeze the entire kingdom last summer. Emphasis on the accident part. I couldn't really control my powers at the time and I kind of got outted as a sorceress at my coronation. I freaked out, one thing led to another and boom, Eternal Winter.

"But you were able to fix it, right?" the boy with the ball asked.

Elsa shook her head. "Not by myself, no. My sister, Anna was the one that saved me. She saved all of us," Elsa explained. "Anna is the bravest person I've ever met. She's kind and stubborn and bold and beautiful. I love her more than anything in the world."

A booming clap echoed through the room, drawing all eyes to the throne. King Logan brought his hands together slowly and dramatically, commanding attention as well as expressing approval.

"Marvelous. Absolutely extraordinary. Never in my life have I seen such a spectacular display. Thank you Queen Elsa, for sharing your gifts with us today," said the king. The rest of the court joined their king in enthusiastic applause. Elsa curtseyed graciously, a touch of pink coloring her cheeks.

"Come, let us walk," Logan continued, rising from his throne. The guards stood at attention behind him and the rest of the court followed suit. He offered Elsa his arm and guided her toward the door. As the pair passed through it, the king gave a quick nod to the man standing in the corner. Half hidden in shadow, the man acknowledged the king's signal and whispered into the ear of a nearby soldier. The officer's face remained impassive, but his color began to fade.

##############################

A small section of the hallway floor grew shiny, polished by Kristoff's constant pacing. Over the last half hour, he was treated to all manner of highly disturbing noises from outside the training room door. He couldn't make out what anyone was saying, not that he was spying or anything, but the fact that he heard at least a few dozen clangs, crashes, and clatters was a little unnerving. He was pretty sure he smelled smoke at one point and he prayed to anyone or anything that was listening that the castle did not burn to the ground while Elsa was away.

One last crash shook Kristoff out of this last particularly disturbing train of thought, as it was followed by a string of very loud words that, despite being in a language he did not understand, had a rather obvious meaning to them.

"Sword is not the spear! We do not throw the sword!" Major Bellamy bellowed.

"I'm sorry, ok? It slipped!" Anna protested.

"No. No more. No sword for you crazy girl," he muttered.

"Hey!"

"Here. You take this. Learn this first, then work up to sword," the irate officer directed.

"But…"

"Yes this," he continued impatiently. "Good practice. Much better. Build strong arms, strong back, no chance of impalement."

Kristoff made a point to put a respectful distance between himself and the door before it opened. As Anna emerged, looking tired and sweaty, but seemingly unharmed, he did his best to pretend he didn't notice that a rapier was firmly imbedded in the middle of the door.

"Hey Anna. How was fencing?" he said as casually as possible. _Smooth Bjorgman_.

Anna said nothing, but she looked as though she'd just been informed that her next five birthdays had been cancelled. She was cradling something in her arms. Long wood handle with a flat metal blade at the end of it.

"Anna, why do you have a shovel?" Kristoff asked, suddenly curious.

Anna regarded the shovel in her arms for a moment. Then, without a word, she propped the shovel against her shoulder and silently marched away with as much poise as she could muster, leaving Kristoff behind to speculate.

##############################

Elsa was impressed with Fairfax Castle. While it lacked the shine and polish of her own home, embracing a more austere and imposing aesthetic, it was striking nevertheless.

There was something a little odd about it. King Logan had assumed the role of tour guide, showing Elsa it's many hallways, drawing rooms, and libraries. While their tour took them through the majority of the castle, the east wing was conspicuously avoided. The king made an offhand remark about a renovation or some sort, which might have been a plausible excuse had there been any indication that construction at all. The only thing out of place in what little Elsa saw of the east wing was the fact that every single curtain was drawn.

"So, Queen Elsa, what do you think of the Westlands? I hope you've found your time here enjoyable thus far," the king said genially.

"I have. I have to admit I was a little nervous coming here. This is the first time I've been away from Arendelle," Elsa replied.

"Not homesick already, are you?" he asked.

"It's fine. I just worry, you know," she explained.

"It's what we do," Logan said with a weary shrug.

"As long as the castle is still in one piece by the time I get back, I'll call it a win," Elsa joked.

Logan smiled, but he didn't laugh. The king didn't laugh much. In the few hours that she'd known him, Elsa had yet to see him laugh at all.

"Well I hope I can convince you to stay on for a while. I don't know if I can deprive the court's children of their favorite playmate."

"Sadly it will be a short visit. This is only the first leg of my goodwill tour," Elsa explained apologetically.

"Goodwill tour?" Logan asked.

"We were a little concerned that people might be getting the wrong idea about me. That I was some kind of evil ice witch bent on freezing the entire planet or something," she continued.

"I take it you're not fond of that perception?"

"Arendelle is a small, prosperous, peaceful nation. I'd like it to stay that way," Elsa said assertively.

"Sadly peace is not a luxury we can all afford I'm afraid. We've had our…problems as of late," the king said unhappily.

"There have been rumors," the queen admitted.

"Some of them are true I'm afraid. We've endured all manner of grief as of late. Fires. Riots. Insurrectionists. It's a nightmare," Logan said grimly.

"I'm sorry to hear it," Elsa replied. It certainly explained a lot, especially why everyone seemed like they were about to jump out their skin at any moment.

Logan gazed out the window as the sun set over King's Landing, the light cascading over the tiny ships in the distance. "It never ceases to amaze me how ungrateful people can be. I bring them industry, they complain about soot in air and poison in the water. I bring them jobs and they complain about the low wages and dangerous conditions. I bring them safety and order and they protest in the streets," the king muttered bitterly.

"You don't know how lucky you are Elsa. All this power, right at your fingertips. Who in their right mind would dare defy the Snow Queen?" Logan marveled.

"I've never really thought about it like that," Elsa replied cautiously.

In truth, such thoughts had crossed her mind, though never in a positive light. She'd seen it first hand, people cowering in fear from the dangerous sorceress. It had been a long time since Elsa had thought of herself in such terms and the idea that anyone, let alone a king would speak of such a thing with envy was disturbing.

"You should. We can be loved or we can be feared Elsa, not both," the king insisted.

Elsa said nothing, anxious at the change in Logan's manner. He wasn't the first man to use words like _safety, security,_ and _order_ to justify despicable things. She started to wonder if the beggar woman she met that morning wasn't afraid of her, but rather the soldiers that guarded her.

"Your people are very fond of you, aren't they?" Logan asked softly.

"I like to think so," Elsa replied.

"You're probably right. Who wouldn't be? You are, by all accounts, a kind, intelligent, beautiful, and remarkably gifted woman. Of course your people love you," Logan said thoughtfully. Elsa remained silent, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"For now. But wait until the chips are down. Wait until you have to ask more than they're willing to give," the king said coldly. His face was stone, no trace of emotion. Elsa recognized that face. She used to practice it in the mirror.

_What happened to you Logan?_

"You know, you're not the first person I've met with unusual gifts," Logan said thoughtfully. "I met another such individual some years ago. I was still a prince then, serving my time in the army as is our custom. A group of bandits had been making difficulties for us, and the local sheriff had requested our aid in bringing the rogues to justice. Their camp was rumored to be in the Moors, a vast forest on the border of our lands. I led a patrol into the woods, hoping to flush out the bandits. In the woods we found a castle. Centuries old by the looks of it. Uninhabited, or so it seemed. A single raven was perched outside. And inside was its master."

Elsa watched her companion intently as he told his tale. At first his face betrayed no feeling, but the moment Logan mentioned the forest, the young queen saw another familiar sight. Fear. Terror was etched into the king's features, as fresh and raw as though her were reliving the entire experience.

"She was a dark creature. Beautiful and terrible to behold. I'd heard legends of the fair folk as a young boy, but this woman, she was something else altogether."

"What?" Elsa asked.

"A ravenous beast, born of flame and fury. To this day I am not sure which was her genuine form, the faerie or the dragon. But I remember her name. Maleficent!" Logan roared.

The king stared off into the distance for some time. Elsa wondered how such a fantastic tale could have gone untold by so many people, but something in Logan's eyes told her there was a good chance she was the first to hear it.

"Three of us made it out. Two of us made it back. I alone came back whole," Logan finished solemnly.

"I'm so sorry," Elsa said sadly.

"Do you understand Elsa?" the king demanded. "Because they don't! Even my brother, my own flesh and blood, calls me a tyrant. The Mad King, that's what they call me."

"What can I do to help?" Elsa asked. Arendelle's resources were limited, but certainly her country could do something to aid their beleaguered neighbors.

"You can stay," Logan said simply.

Elsa's heart sank. Of course he wanted her to stay. He had a dragon to fight. He needed a weapon. _One monster to fight another._

"Think of what we could do, together. With your magic and my army. Unlimited. Together we're unlimited," Logan beamed.

And there it was. Like always, everything came down to either her position or her powers.

"We could get married," the king added as an afterthought. "It makes sense. Your sister could rule Arendelle as heir apparent. I know it seems a bit…bleak, but once Maleficent is dead and this miserable rebellion is over, you'll have quite the comfortable home here."

"King Logan, I am truly sorry for everything that has happened to you. I really am. But Arendelle is my home. My people, my friends, my sister, they mean everything to me. I can't abandon them."

"Is there nothing I can say to convince you?" Logan asked regretfully.

"I'm sorry."

Grim determination set on King Logan's face. "So am I," he replied.

A sharp crack, followed by splitting pain washed over Elsa's head. Then, only darkness.


	3. Captain Kenway

A dull ache greeted Elsa as she regained consciousness. The young queen winced as she stood up to get her bearings, still dizzy from the blow. A bizarre feeling of déjà vu came over her as she took stock of her surroundings. Stone floor and walls, check. Bars on the windows and door, check. At least this time no one bothered to bind her hands.

One thing struck her as strange. Her cell was unusually warm, downright sweltering. It felt as though she was surrounded by several roaring fireplaces, but the only open flame Elsa could see was the small lantern outside the cell. The heat became more intense as she approached the heavy barred door, and upon closer inspection she realized that the metal bars were glowing faintly.

She tested the door with a quick blast of frost, and was rewarded with a choking cloud of steam. The ice melted away almost instantly and the bars remained unaffected. It seemed Logan had done his homework.

"Do you mind not doing that? It's already a sauna in here," a man's voice asked through the wall. Apparently Elsa wasn't alone.

"Who's there?" Elsa asked.

"A lady?" the voice replied curiously. "Interesting. What's you do?"

Elsa sighed. "It's a long story."

"Take a look around, love. If this isn't the time or place for a long story, I don't know what is."

"Let's just say King Logan wanted me to do something I wasn't willing to do," Elsa replied.

"Bet you're not the first girl to say that," the voice replied knowingly. Elsa rolled her eyes.

"He wanted me to marry him," she explained.

"And you said no?" her companion said incredulously. "That was stupid of you."

"He's not exactly my type."

"He's not exactly anybody's type. Still, what kind of girl says no when a king asks for her hand?" the voice argued.

"A queen."

"A queen?"

"Queen Elsa of Arendelle," Elsa said with as much poise as her current situation would allow.

The other prisoner let out a low whistle. "Wasn't expecting that," he admitted.

"Today's been full of surprises," the queen quipped.

"No kidding. So, what's the Snow Queen doing in a place like this?" the voice inquired.

"Being stupid, apparently."

"Well, at least you're in good company," Elsa's companion chuckled. "Speaking of which, where are my manners. Haven't even introduced myself yet. Captain Jack Kenway, at your service Your Majesty."

"Nice to meet you," Elsa replied politely. "So Captain Kenway, what exactly are you captain of?"

"Call me Jack. You could say I'm between ships at the moment. Had a spot of bad luck a few weeks back. Royal Navy and I had a bit of a disagreement about the legal status of some trade goods my crew liberated," Jack explained.

"What kind of disagreement?" Elsa asked.

"The kind that involves cannons. Redcoats managed to hit one of the powder barrels, sent me flying overboard. My crew managed to get away with what was left of our ship, but I ended up getting fished out of the drink and dumped in the brig."

"Why would Logan's men fire on you?"

"The redcoats don't take too kindly to any ship different colors from their own these days. Especially black," Jack explained.

"You're a pirate?" Elsa asked.

"I prefer to think of myself as an entrepreneur. Still, if the shoe fits, Your Majesty," Jack admitted.

"Call me Elsa. I'm hardly a queen in here," Elsa said with a shrug.

"Fair enough. So, ever break out of prison before?" Jack asked.

"Once," Elsa replied. She left it at that. It wasn't exactly a happy memory.

"Really?" Jack replied, sounding impressed. "You're a woman of many talents."

"I don't think that's going to be any help this time. I can't freeze the bars without cooking us alive."

"Yeah…don't do that."

Elsa struggled to come up with a more novel solution. As she entertained the insane notion of smashing the bars with a massive ice hammer, a metallic groan echoed through the hallway as a heavy door opened slowly, followed by purposeful footsteps.

"Speak of the devil," Jack muttered as Logan passed by his cell and stood before Elsa's.

"What is the meaning of this?" Elsa demanded.

"Queen Elsa, glad to see you're finally awake. My apologies for the accommodations. Our last conversation took a rather unfortunate turn and I feared it was your intention to leave us," the king said diplomatically.

"So your solution was to knock me out and lock me up?" Elsa said sarcastically. "If this is how you treat your friends, I'd hate to see how you treat your enemies."

"A man in my position cannot afford the luxury of friends."

"Why are you doing this?" Elsa pleaded.

"You left me no choice!" Logan snapped "You know what's out there, what she's capable of." The king paused, doing his best to master his anger. "There are monsters in this world Elsa. And rather than fight them, my people would rather fight a bloody civil war than face the true threat. I cannot rule a divided kingdom. Fear is the only thing these people understand. And if they don't fear me, then they will fear you."

"I won't be a part of this," Elsa said defiantly.

"You most certainly will. You see, you think just because Momma and Papa went to Davy Jones' Locker that you know what pain is," Logan said mockingly. He took out a roll of parchment, placing the edge of it against the bars of Elsa's cell. Within seconds it ignited, flashing brightly, Logan's eyes glowing in the flame. "You see Elsa, if you do not do everything I say with a spring in your step and a song in your heart, I'll burn you. Your kingdom. Your friends. And of course, dear sister. I will burn them _all_."

"You're insane." Elsa seethed.

Logan shook his head. "No, no I'm not," he said. "I'm just ahead of the curve."

Elsa knew he had the means to make good on his threat. Arendelle was a small kingdom with a modest fleet, mostly made up of unarmed trade ships. They didn't stand a chance against the might of the Westland Navy.

What she needed was time. Olaf and the crew of the Sherwood were still in King's Landing, surrounded by redcoats. If she cooperated, if she could get them home safely with a warning, maybe they'd stand a fighting chance.

"I'll do it," she whispered. "Anything you want. Just please, don't hurt them."

"Glad to hear it," Logan replied. "Now, why don't we find you some more comfortable accommodations? Only the best for the future Queen of the Westlands."

##############################

This was the longest game of hide and seek Olaf had ever played. Elsa was good at this game. So good in fact, Olaf hadn't even known that they were playing. No one seemed to know where Elsa was. None of the kids seemed to know, nor did any of Elsa's crew. The guys in the red coats weren't exactly helpful, quite the opposite in fact. It was almost as if they didn't want him to know where she was.

Still, Olaf wasn't the type that knew when to quit. He was a little put off when he found himself in a room full of massive furnaces. A pair of large, sweaty, dirty men were shoveling black rocks and green crystals into the boilers, pausing only to glare at little snowman.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to interrupt…whatever it is you're doing. I'm pretty sure Elsa isn't in here anyway. Say, is it just me, or is it hot in here?" Olaf said nervously.

The men exchanged a look, then continued to stare at Olaf.

"So, I'm just gonna go before I leave a puddle on the floor here," Olaf muttered, his features starting to sag as his flurry fought a losing battle with the boiler room.

He headed back upstairs and into the main hall, where he found finally found Elsa. She was with King Logan and a very large number of guys in the red coats. He spotted the boat captain too, the blonde guy who, according to Anna, looked like a Greek god, only he wasn't supposed to tell Kristoff that, since he might get jealous. What was his name again? Something with an S. Smee, Smitty, Smith. Something like that.

"Captain, I know this is a little unorthodox, but I've made up my mind," Elsa explained. "I'm staying. Please inform my sister about our engagement and that I will write to her as soon as I can."

"There you are!" Olaf said cheerily, and loudly. "And you're getting married? When's the wedding? Should I bring a gift? I should bring a gift. I never know what to get people. Will there be cake? And flowers? I _love_ flowers," Olaf gushed.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of flowers. Just go back to Arendelle and tell Anna and Hans, ok? She'll know what to do," Elsa explained.

"Anna and Hans?" Olaf said, a note of confusion in his voice.

"Yes. Anna and Hans. Do you understand?"

"Ok," Olaf said reluctantly. Elsa was acting weird. First, she agrees to marry a man she just met, which was completely against her _don't marry a man you just met_ rule. Then, she confuses Kristoff with Hans, which was really weird, seeing as Anna really likes Kristoff and really don't like Hans. Maybe she hit her head or something.

"Captain Smith, you have your instructions. Please leave immediately," Elsa ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the young captain replied with a crisp salute.

The queen's men turned to leave with Olaf in tow. When he turned back to look at her, she waved and smiles, a tight-lipped smile, so unlike the one he'd come to know and love. He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong…but if this was what Elsa wanted, he would do his best to make it happen.

##############################

Elsa let out a deep breath, one she felt like she'd been holding for hours as the Sherwood set sail. She could barely make out the lanterns as the ship began to fade into the evening sky. They were safe.

A cold fury consumed Elsa as she waited for the right moment. She could barely make out the syrupy voice of Lord Revan, prattling on about making a grand show of the royal wedding, making sure the whole world knew that the power of ice and snow was under King Logan's command.

"Well, I've made good on my promise. Time to make good on yours," Logan said, looking entirely too pleased with himself. The lights were gone. Her people were clear.

"With pleasure," Elsa replied.

With that, Elsa stamped her foot forcefully into the ground. Ice cascaded all around them, coating the floor, the walls, everything. A few soldiers lost their footing, dragging a few of their comrades with them as the fell to the ground. Those that remained upright trained their muskets on the Snow Queen.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" Logan yelled.

Only one man was not embroiled in the chaos. He wore a red coat like the soldiers, but his hat was far more garish, with a wide brim and massive plume. He stood by the corner window, staring out into the darkness. He pointed out the window with a gleaming hook, which caught the light as he gestured toward the city.

"Seems your witch has decided to put on another show. An unwelcome encore. Very bad form," he said dryly.

Logan carefully stepped toward the window, where he was greeted by the sight of the entire harbor freezing solid. The frost crept over and into the water, encircling every ship at dock, trapping them in a thick layer of ice.

"What are you doing?" Logan demanded, panic creeping into his voice.

"You wanted the Snow Queen. You got her," Elsa said with a shrug. The ice continued gaining ground, coating the entire castle in a thick layer of frost. Soon most of Fairfax Castle was completely encased in ice and snow, appearing as though it was a massive igloo in castle form.

"Unfreeze it. Now!" he commanded.

"I can't," Elsa said softly. "But you can."

"What are you talking about?" Logan asked.

Elsa considered her words carefully. This might be her only chance to appeal to whatever warmth remained in the king's heart. "I know what it's like," she said sympathetically. "What it's like to be afraid. Doing anything and everything you can to keep something terrible from happening. Being willing to sacrifice everything to protect the people you love."

Logan blanched at this. Encouraged, Elsa continued.

"It's not too late. This isn't who you have to be. You can still make this right. Please Logan. Let me help you," Elsa pleaded.

Logan stared at the young queen, and for just a moment, he seemed tempted. But his face turned to stone.

"Nice try. Take her back to her cell," the king ordered. "If she tries anything, shoot her."

##############################

Elsa had no idea what time it was when she was marched back into her cell. A stoic team of soldiers kept their weapons fixed upon her until the moment the red-hot door was locked. Once she secure in the super-heated prison, they made their way out of the dungeon, leaving the queen alone with the pirate.

"Welcome back love," Jack said through a yawn, woken by the commotion caused by Elsa's return.

"Thanks. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Elsa asked.

"Made a new friend. Think I'll call him Remy. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Jack asked.

Elsa was puzzled. Surely there hadn't been enough time for Logan to throw another prisoner into the dungeon. Then of course, there was the squeaking. "Is this new friend of yours…human?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"Rat. Cheeky little fellow. Surprisingly picky eater. Wouldn't even touch my leftovers," Jack explained.

"I see," Elsa said, mulling over the possible psychological effects of long term confinement.

"So, I take it things didn't go too well with Prince Charming," Jack said knowingly.

"Not really."

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's ok. I was able to get my people out of the city. They should be able to get back to Arendelle before Logan can free his ships from the ice," Elsa said.

"Ice?" Jack asked.

"I might have frozen the harbor," Elsa mumbled.

Jack whistled. "That's a neat trick," he said with approval. "Wait, so does this mean the entire Royal Navy is stuck at port?"

"I guess so. They might still have ships at sea. Why?" Elsa asked.

"Interesting. Very interesting," Jack replied cryptically. Elsa heard him hop up from his cot and yawn dramatically. "So, I was thinking. How about you and me get out of here?"

"I'd love to, but they've started locking the doors around here," Elsa said with a wry smile. Her companion might be a little off his rocker, but at least he was good company.

"Right. Let me see if I can take care of that. Oh jailor?" Jack called in sing-song. No one came.

"Jailor, jailor, jailor, jailor, jailor, jailor, jailor, jailor," he continued monotonously. His persistence was rewarded with the sound of heavy boots making their way to the door.

"What!" the jailor bellowed.

Jack's reply was muffled and unintelligible.

"What was that?" the guard demanded, leaning in closer to the frame.

What followed was a loud clang, followed by a dull thud as a rather beefy man slumped to the floor.

"I said, 'Could you stand a little closer to the door, please?'" Jack said, mocking the unconscious guard as he stepped over him.

"You had the key the whole time?" Elsa asked incredulously.

"Not the whole time. Remy nicked it for me when you were up having your row with the king. Besides, the key was only half the equation. What I really need…" Jack explained as he fiddled with Elsa's lock, "is a proper accomplice."

The moment the superheated cell opened was the first moment the two prisoners got a decent look at each other. Jack was tall, borderline gangly, with a dark scruffy hair and a long brown coat. He cocked his head as he gazed at Elsa, as if he were looking at a mirage.

"Blimey love. You're beautiful," he exclaimed with genuine surprise.

"Thank you. I think," Elsa replied hesitantly. "Why so surprised?"

"Honestly, I thought you'd be a bit…greener."

"Greener?"

"You know, black hat, broom. Never mind, stupid rumor," Jack said hastily.

"Are your compliments always this insulting?" Elsa asked.

"Only the honest ones. Anyway, perhaps we should get going? I've a feeling our sleepy friend here is going to be quite grumpy when he wakes up," Jack replied.


	4. Jailbreak

Elsa made a mental note not to wear heels the next time she broke out of prison. She cringed as she tried to creep silently behind Jack, but the clip, clip sound of her icy footwear seemed to echo through the cell block. After a pointed look from Jack, she decided to ditch them, making another mental note to wash her feet thoroughly at the earliest available opportunity.

The queen was completely disoriented. She was unconscious the first time she was brought to the dungeon and preoccupied with a half a dozen bayonets hovering behind her back the second. Fortunately, Jack seemed to know where he was going, silently making his way through the dark corridors. A few strategically placed torches were the only available source of light.

The pair came across a heavy door halfway through one of the hallway, one with the word "Armory" etched into the wood.

"Alright Remy. Which key do we want?" Jack whispered. A furry head poked out of his jacket pocket and began sniffing the keys.

Elsa wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Ugh, you brought him with you?"

"Of course! He's brilliant, aren't you Remy?" Jack insisted.

"I thought pirates were supposed to keep parrots as pets."

"Are you kidding?" Jack bristled. "Loathsome birds. Think they're so clever, just 'cause they can talk. If I need to hear something I say repeated in a stupid voice, I'd…"

The pair froze as a loud thump echoed through the hallway. They remained silent for a minute, not even daring to breathe. Even Remy remained unnaturally still. When no other noises followed, Jack continued fiddling with the keys.

"Now a monkey's pretty handy to have around. Knew a fellow that had an undead monkey once. Vicious little thing, but he was quite the accomplished pick pocket," he remarked.

"You're joking."

"I never joke about undead monkeys," Jack replied earnestly. "Course, an undead monkey's pretty much the same as a live one, 'cept they don't eat and if you shoot 'em, you'll only make 'em angry."

"Do you always talk this much?" Elsa asked.

"You'll get used to it."

After a while, Jack exhausted the key ring. Remy threw up his paws in what seemed to be a genuine shrug, then curled back into Jack's pocket.

"Hmm. Guess he didn't have that one," Jack said, scratching his head.

"Here. I've got this," Elsa said.

She placed her hand against the lock, sending a quick surge of magic into the mechanism. She shoved the handle down, wincing as the fatigued metal gave way and the lock popped open.

"That's a neat trick," Jack whispered.

"Thanks."

"You know, if this whole queen thing doesn't work out for you, you'd make a pretty good burglar." Elsa decided not to comment.

They made their way into the armory, poking around the varied collection of swords, maces, crossbows, rifles, and other assorted weaponry. Elsa briefly entertained the notion of grabbing a rapier or a pistol for herself, but decided against it. She already had a weapon, although she cringed at the thought of using her magic in such a fashion.

"What are we doing?" Elsa asked.

"Just need to pick something up before we go. Won't be long," Jack explained. He started collecting various items and attaching them to the variety of straps, holsters, and pockets on his bandolier. Two cutlasses, four pistols, a blow pipe, and several clay balls that looked a lot like grenades found a place on his person.

Still, he wasn't done searching. "Let's see. I know they put it around here somewhere," he muttered.

"What are you looking for?" Elsa whispered urgently. It was only a matter of time before someone found the guard. Granted, Jack had the foresight to bind and gag him before locking him in Elsa's cell, but there was bound to be a shift change eventually.

"Something very valuable. Can't leave without it," Jack murmured. His eyes lit up as he came across a wire mannequin head, adorned with a pointy leather hat.

"Jackpot!" he said happily, taking the hat from its resting place and placing it gently on top of his head.

"A hat," Elsa deadpanned.

"Yep."

"We came all this way for a hat?" Elsa demanded.

"It's a very fine hat," Jack said defensively.

"I think we may need to have a conversation about your priorities."

Elsa's eyes went wide as the heard the door creak open behind her. A hand held lamp illuminated the escapees, as well as the face of the red coat that held it.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" he said.

"Sorry mate. Got a bit lost looking for the john," Jack said, flashing a friendly grin. "Think you could point us in the right direction?"

The guard, a rather doughy faced man with beady eyes, regarded them for a moment. His face went white when he realized who the woman in the glittering blue dress was.

"You! You're the winter witch!" he stammered, fumbling for his pistol.

Elsa reacted much, much faster, pinning him to the wall with a wave of icicles. Jack stepped gingerly over to the pinned red coat, testing the end of an icicle with his finger tip. He withdrew quickly as the sharp tip pierced the skin, putting the injured digit in his mouth.

"Right. Remind me not to make you angry," he said respectfully.

"Look, we don't want any trouble," Elsa said carefully. "Just stay quiet and it'll be like we never saw each other."

"Jailbreak! Jailbreak! The witch is on the loose!" the guard screamed. He was rewarded with a fist to the face, courtesy of Jack.

"You think they heard that?" Elsa asked, hanging on to an irrational bit of hope. A clanging bell, followed by barking dogs and shouts shattered that particular delusion.

"And now we run," Jack grimaced.

##############################

The last time Elsa made a desperate run, the only one brave enough to chase after her was her sister. This time her pursuers consisted of several dozen well-armed soldiers, along with packs of angry guard dogs. She and Jack darted through the hallways, frantically trying to find an exit.

"So, any idea where we're going?" Jack asked as they sped down the hall.

"Not really." Elsa huffed. "My tour got cut off early."

"Guess we'll have to wing it then."

As they turned the corner, half a dozen redcoats trained their weapons on the duo. On instinct, Elsa raised a thick wall of ice between them. The ice cracked as the soldiers discharged their weapons, but the wall held.

"Guess we're not going that way," Elsa muttered.

"C'mon love. Plenty of doors left," Jack replied.

The pair continued their flight, with Elsa blocking or trapping each group of redcoats they came across. While it kept them from being captured, each hallway Elsa sealed denied the escapees a possible way out.

Eventually their pursuers trapped them in the east wing staircase. Elsa's legs burned as she sprinted up the stairs. She was pulled to her knees as one of the dogs managed to catch up and grab hold of the hem of her ice dress. Its growl was deep and guttural and the brute threatened to drag her down the staircase. Jack slashed at the dress, slicing cleanly through it with his sword, leaving both the dog and Elsa's leg intact. The dog tumbled down the stairs, stunned, but otherwise unharmed. Elsa threw up another ice wall behind them as they continued up the staircase, bidding a silent thank you to the pirate.

The stairs continued up, further and further. Elsa lost track of how many flights they'd climbed. When they reached the top, Jack carefully peeked through the door, then ducked back behind it, just in time for an arrow to sail through the space and embed itself in the wall. Elsa froze the door shut, and while it seemed to hold, she was pretty sure the hacking sound she heard against it was an axe.

"Lovely," Jack said sarcastically.

"Now what?" Elsa asked.

Jack peered through the window. The light was just starting to come up over the water. He could see the entire city, all the way down to the harbor.

Elsa's perspective was considerably dimmer. The heavy curtains in the east wing hid the darker side of King's Landing. As the sun began to bathe the city in light, the full effect of Logan's draconian leadership came into full view. Filthy hovels lined the streets, with people barely dressed in rags cowering in fear as squads of soldiers scattered through the city. She could hear gunfire in the distance, and she hoped, though she sincerely doubted, that they were merely warning shots.

"Logan, what have you done," Elsa whispered.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" Jack said solemnly.

"We have to get out of here. People need to know what's happening."

"Well, there's the window, or there's...nope, looks like window's the only option," Jack said thoughtfully.

"Would you prefer a slide or a spiral staircase?" Elsa asked.

"Seriously?"

The ice on the door split down the middle, splinters sticking through the crack. The axe continued to gain ground, until a manic looking eye peered through the hole. Elsa wasn't sure which was more terrifying, the hundred foot drop or the clearly deranged axe wielding individual on the other side of the door.

"Slide'll be faster," Elsa said quickly.

Elsa's magic coalesced in the morning sky, zipping through the air to form a lengthy ramp from the castle keep. It shot straight down through the city, solidifying on roof tops, terminating just shy of the port. It was to date, the second most ambitious structure Elsa had ever summoned into existence, but by far the most imposing.

"I have to say I am loving this plan. I'm glad to be a part of it," Jack said sardonically. "Please tell me you have a way of slowing us down?"

"I'm working on it."

The door finally gave way, the ice shattering to a thousand pieces as the heavy wooden panel fell to the ground. "Time's up," Jack said. He fired a couple of shots into the opening where the door once stood, then tossed a grenade in for good measure. Then, without really looking, and without giving the queen a moment to protest, he dove for the window, grabbing her hand as he tumbled through it, dragging her along with him.

##############################

Charlie's parents weren't very fond of magic. "It's not natural," they said when he would ask about it. "Just a bunch of stupid parlor tricks." Naturally, when a real-live sorceress came to visit King's Landing, they made a point of staying home for the day, and Charlie was stuck practicing his handwriting. He wanted ever so much to meet the lady that could make it snow, but little Charlie's parents would have none of it.

Charlie was quite surprised when he awoke to see icicles decorating his window, rather an uncommon sight in the middle of May. When he opened the window, he found not only icicles, but an entire sheet of solid ice coating the entire roof. It seemed to stretch on forever, going from his house to Grandpa Joe's house and on and on through the neighborhood.

Then came the yelling. A man in brown coat zipped down the ice sheet, screaming as he flew by, followed by a lady in a blue dress doing the same. A small grey furry lump squeaked by behind them. He stared in wonder as the brown, blue, and grey blurs disappeared into the distance.

"Mama! Papa!" Charlie yelled. His parents might not be fans of magic, but surely a mile long ice ramp would impress them. And who know? Maybe they'd even let him give it a try.

##############################

Elsa and Jack flew down the massive slope faster far faster than any human being had business going. The pair of human toboggans zipped down the ice, trying desperately to grab hold of anything to slow them down, including each other.

Luckily, Elsa had the good sense to fashion a softer impact point than the cobblestone street where her ice slide terminated. At the last second, a massive snowdrift materialized at the foot of the ramp, bringing their rapid descent to an uncomfortable, but survivable end.

The citizens of King's Landing stared into the massive snow pile, peering into a series of impact craters, shaped like a pirate, a queen, and a rodent respectively.. Elsa emerged first, her face taking on a distinctly greener hue than usual as she tried to regain her footing.

"That was fun. Let's never do it again," Jack muttered as he stumbled out of the snow. He reached for his throat as he forced the bile back into his stomach. Remy crawled out from under Jack's hat as he picked it up. The little rat was shaking badly as he climbed up Jack's arm and back into his pocket.

"Who is that?" someone called out from the crowd.

"It's the Snow Queen!"

"And she's got a guy with her!"

"I thought she was marrying King Logan?"

"She must be eloping!"

"Really? I didn't think she fancied men."

"Oh, how romantic! It's just like that story with the bride that ran away. What was that called again?"

"Wait, what?" Elsa said, flustered. "No, no, no no, no. None of that is happening."

"Elsa, less talking, more running," Jack said through a tight smile.

"Right, sorry." With that, they sped off, leaving the mob to continue manufacturing increasingly more ludicrous rumors. Luckily Elsa was out of earshot before the crowd started speculating about body parts freezing and sticking to other body parts.

Fortunately, security at the docks was minimal. Most of the redcoats were busy trying to dig their ships out of the ice. The only soldiers remaining on the docks stood in pairs at the end of each pier, guarding the gang plank to each ship.

Jack looked positively giddy. Like Anna in a sweet shop, he carefully surveyed the various ships at port, murmuring to himself as he examined each one.

"Too big. Too small. Too slow. Wow. I'm not even sure what that's supposed to be. Is that supposed to be a ship?" he muttered. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Ah. There were are."

He strode toward a mid-sized vessel with a bright red hull. Gold trim adorned the stern, with a massive golden skull and crossbones gleaming at them above the captain's quarters. The words _Jolly Roger_ were lavishly painted on the hull, with _HMS_ neatly added to the front sometime after.

"Hello beautiful. Where have you been all my life?" Jack said in awe.

"Would you two like to be alone?" Elsa teased.

"You're ruining the moment."

They crept up closer, hiding behind some crates while they tried to work out a way to steal the ship undetected. Elsa overheard a rather loud debate from the pair of redcoats standing between her and freedom.

"I'm telling you, I seen one with me own eyes," the taller of the two insisted.

"You're mental," his shorter, rounder companion scoffed.

"I'm telling you Grif, I saw her. A real life mermaid."

"There's no such thing as mermaids."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"Are too."

"Are not."

"How would you know? You've never even been out at sea before."

"Alright, what'd she look like?"

"Gorgeous mate. Bright red hair, green eyes. Couple of seashells covernin' her…you know." Elsa raised an eyebrow as the man made a sort of lifting motion in front of his chest.

"Uh huh. And she was fish from the waist down?"

"Yep. Saw her tail splash and everything."

"So, let's say you managed to find and woo your mermaid. What then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if she's a fish from the waist down, how are you supposed to…you know?" Elsa stifled a laugh as he made a sort of bizarre gesture, mashing his hands together like he was assembling a crude peanut butter sandwich.

"Huh. I never thought of that."

"Alright love, looks like the ship's clear. Count of three, I'll get the one on the right, you get the one on the left. Savvy?" Jack whispered.

"Wait," Elsa whispered, grabbing Jack's shoulder. "Do you think the two of us will be able to sail this thing on our own?"

"Um…no. Gotta better idea?"

"I think so. Follow my lead."

Elsa stood up straight and purposefully marched toward the end of the pier. Jack trailed behind her, carefully concealing a pistol behind him.

The soldiers seemed more interested in their conversation than the approaching trespassers. Elsa's heart was pounding in her ears. The overheard the taller redcoat say something about a mermaid somehow getting human legs and other such anatomy, which his companion insisted, still didn't account for where mermaids came from in the first place.

"Ahem," Elsa said, trying to seem as calm and regal as possible. _You can do this. You have to do this._

The stout one turned first, his eyes bugging out as he realized who was standing before him. "It's the s-s-s-s-sorceress!" he yelped.

"Good evening gentlemen," Elsa said politely, without skipping a beat. "I have a proposition for you, if I could spare a moment of your time." The soldiers glanced at their muskets, which were already frozen solid. "Don't bother," Elsa added as they started fumbling for their pistols. They put their hands up as they saw frost sparkling on the queen's fingertips.

"What kind of proposition?" Grif asked nervously.

"I need to get to Arendelle. I need a ship and a crew. I'd be more than happy to compensate you for your trouble," Elsa explained politely.

"Sounds good to me gents. I hear Corona's a lovely place for an early retirement," Jack added.

"Of course, I could just freeze the two of you, take your ship, and then you'll get to explain to the Mad King why you let his prisoner get away."

The soldiers stared at the queen for a moment, then at each other. They seemed to be having some sort of silent conversation, one that consisted entirely of eye movement and facial expressions. Finally, they turned to face Elsa and Jack once again.

"Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger."

##############################

James Hook was…unhappy. That wasn't unusual in and of itself. Truth be told, he was never happy. Happy thoughts, truly happy thoughts, eluded the man. The closest he came to happiness was more akin to satisfaction. The exact opposite of what he was feeling at this particular moment.

"You owe me a ship, Logan," he hissed as he watched the Jolly Roger sail off into the morning light. With the rest of the fleet was still embedded in the ice, Logan's men could only watch helplessly as the Snow Queen escaped into the open sea.

"Mind your tongue, Captain. It wasn't that long ago that you were sitting in a cell yourself, ranting about some infernal crocodile," Logan replied nastily.

"Of course. My apologies, Your Majesty," Hook said, bowing with mock contrition. Logan noted the sarcasm, but chose not to make an issue of it. As tedious as this pirate was, he was good at his job and willing to get his hands dirty, so to speak.

"You want a ship? You've got it. The Maelstrom is yours, as well as any other ships you manage to dig out of the ice."

Hook could barely contain his glee. Sure, the Jolly Roger was a fine ship, but the Maelstrom? This ship was a true monstrosity. Three masts, over a hundred heavy guns. This thing could blow the Kraken out of the water and still make it back in time for tea.

"And the witch?" Hook asked.

"Bring her back. Do whatever it takes."


	5. A Whole New World

Attempting to sail a ship the size of the Jolly Roger with four people is ill advised at best. To do so with only a single experienced sailor is tantamount to madness. As it turned out, Corporal Simmons' one and only time at sea consisted of a three hour tour on a fishing trawler. He stuck to his mermaid story though.

Still, with Captain Kenway's direction, the under-sized and under-skilled crew of the Jolly Roger managed to keep her on course without any major incident. Private Grif might have fallen off the rigging once or twice, but Elsa managed to catch him with a snow pile before he broke anything important.

All in all, Elsa wasn't too worried about the ship or even the crew. Despite their early frosty interaction, the soldiers proved to be rather decent individuals. Grif was a bit lazy and Simmons annoyingly sycophantic, but their general ineptitude and genuine lack of malice made them seem far less threatening than their former comrades.

They in turn seemed rather pleased to have a new employer. Morale was a big problem in the Westland military. Apparently the whole, "beatings will continue until morale improves," trope was played straight in King's Landing. It helped when they came to discover that Queen Elsa was a genuinely nice young woman who simply wanted to get back to her sister and take care of her people. The notion that someone in leadership, a queen of all people, could genuinely care about the people around her seemed completely alien to them.

What did concern Elsa was their course. Arendelle was basically due east of King's Landing, but they'd been heading much farther south than they needed to. She said nothing at first. Perhaps there was some oceanic current that made this route more desirable. She didn't know the details, only that such things existed. But when the compass held to east by southeast for the better part of a day, she began to have doubts.

"Where are we going?" Elsa asked.

"Nassau," Jack said matter-of-factly.

"I see," Elsa replied quietly. Her tone was pleasant, but it had a bit of an edge to it. "I was under the impression that we were going to Arendelle." For the first time, it occurred to her that her interests and Jack's did not necessarily overlap.

"We are. No worries love. I haven't forgotten our bargain. But we need supplies, equipment, and a proper crew if we're going to get you home in one piece. Not that you, Tweedledee and Tweedledum here haven't been doing a bang up job, but at this rate, we're going to run out of clean water in less than a day."

Elsa understood his reasoning, but she didn't have to like it. Her ice wasn't going to last forever, and once Logan's fleet was free, she knew they'd be heading straight for Arendelle. Ice crept into the deck in spite of her best efforts.

It was the first time Jack had seen her lose control of her powers. He did his best to reassure her. "It's gonna be ok, Elsa," he said.

She wanted to believe him. She tried. But everything and everyone she loved was in danger. And until she knew they were safe, until she knew Anna was safe, there was no reassuring her.

"Don't make me a promise you can't keep," she said solemnly.

Jack's run-of-the-mill, carefree reply caught in his throat when he glanced over at Elsa. Gone was the confident, untouchable Snow Queen. For a moment, but long enough for him to see it, there stood a lost, frightened young woman, breaking as the weight of the world became too much to bear. "I won't," he said softly. It was all he could manage.

Remy scurried down the rigging and hopped onto the wheel, slinking his tail around a peg to stead himself. Jack and Elsa regained their composure as their furry companion pointed over the bow. Elsa formed a pair of icicles in her hands, offering one to Jack as they looked into the distance. The sun was about to set, but they could make out the lights of bonfires on the darkened silhouette of the island came into view.

"There it is," Jack said proudly. "The last free city on earth."

##############################

It seemed strange to Kristoff that he could become so stressed out over such a small thing. That in and of itself was part of the problem. Tiny as it was, it was still the better part of three months wages, this glittering bit of rock and metal that rested safely in his pocket for the last three weeks. Still, what do you get for someone who has everything?

"_She'll love it. It's not that small. Plus, she has dainty fingers, so it'll look perfect on her_," Sven said encouragingly.

"I don't know. Do you really think it's ok?" Kristoff asked as he took the ring out and examined it for the three hundredth time.

The real problem was, he hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Elsa before she left. And he really needed to talk to Elsa before he talked to Anna. Sure, he no longer had to schedule an appointment with queen, basically having nearly as free reign of the castle as Anna, but Elsa was just so busy lately. He just hadn't found the right time to bring up the subject.

"She's just been super swamped lately, that's all. What with all the fan mail and the goodwill tour thing," Kristoff insisted.

"_You're just making up excuses. Elsa would've made time for you if you really tried_," Sven said indignantly.

It wasn't like he was scared or anything. He and Elsa got along great. They actually had quite a lot in common, both feeling more comfortable in quiet solitude than in boisterous crowds. They shared a love of music, occasionally indulging Anna, Olaf, and Sven in the occasional string duet, with Elsa on the violin and Kristoff on the lute.

They were friends, which was a weird thing to think about. Kristoff was friends with the Queen of Arendelle. Most of the time he didn't think about it. She was just Elsa. Anna's sister.

And therein lay the problem. He wanted Elsa's blessing, and though she was his friend, the Queen of Arendelle, introvert, violinist, chocolate connoisseur, and many, many other things, there was one title that trumped the rest of them. Elsa was Anna's sister. He needed her blessing.

"_Just repeat after me: 'Elsa, I love you sister. I would like to ask her to marry me. May I have your blessing?'_" Sven said patiently.

Kristoff cleared his throat, "Elsa, I…"

"Hey guys! What's up?"

The sound that Kristoff made was not all that manly. She stared at him for a moment, tilting her head slightly, trying to make sense of this latest manifestation of Kristoff's weirdness. Sven seemed uncharacteristically tight lipped. Anna shook her head.

"You are so weird."

##############################

_Dear Anna,_

_So much has happened, I scarcely know where to begin. First and foremost, I am alright. I wish I could tell you more, but I must be discreet in case this letter is intercepted._

_King Logan took me hostage. He wanted me to use my powers to intimidate his enemies. He wanted to use me as a weapon. He took a terrible risk in taking me prisoner, and I suspect he'll do anything to get me back. If he can't get to me, he'll try to get to you. Do not leave Arendelle. It isn't safe._

_I bought you some time when I escaped, but you need to be ready. He has a powerful army and he's willing to use it. Admiral Kirk should be able to advise you. I know he can be a bit melodramatic, but he's got good instincts. Listen to what he has to say._

_I hope this letter finds you quickly. I don't know when or if I'll have a chance to write another. I love you more than anything in the world. Be safe._

_Love,_

_Elsa_

Elsa carefully rolled up the small strip of parchment, sealing the binding with a quick blast of frost, her royal seal embossed in ice instead of wax. It was an experiment she'd toyed with back home, one that added a personal touch for her correspondence. She was surprised to find that it actually worked. The seal remained solid and unblemished until the letter reached its final destination, one of the many little mysteries of her magic.

She heard someone fumble with the door to the captain's quarters a few times before the door swung open. Jack slipped inside, carrying large, lumpy sack full of items Elsa could only guess at.

"Find what you were looking for?" Elsa asked as he dumped his parcel on the ground.

"I think so. Figured I'd let you have first pick of the lot," Jack explained.

"What am I looking at exactly?"

"Well, if Logan's smart, and unfortunately he is, he'll have put a bounty on your head big enough to make a fella turn in his own mum. Now there's not a lot of love for Logan 'round here, but there's plenty of love for coin."

"So I need a disguise," Elsa said.

"Exactly. Brought you some new clothes. Well, they'll be new to you at least. Why don't you give 'em a try?"

Jack dumped out the bag, sifting through the collection of garments, tossing those he deemed unsatisfactory over his head.

"Too drab." Toss.

"Too flashy." Toss.

"Too…Caribbean." Toss.

Finally, he came across an outfit he approved of. "Here you are love. Give these a try."

"Ok," Elsa said skeptically. The odor wasn't inspiring a lot of confidence. Still, it seemed serviceable. The outfit consisted of a white blouse, with a navy blue petticoat and matching boots. Jack stood by the door and waited, although Elsa wasn't quite sure what he was waiting for.

"Well, go on. Try it on," Jack said.

Elsa cleared her throat pointedly. Jack failed to comprehend her meaning.

"Go outside," Elsa said bluntly.

"Right. Sorry."

She emerged from the cabin a few minutes later. Jack wasn't sure what the clanging sound he heard earlier was, and Elsa was not about to admit it was a direct result of the fact that this was the first time she'd ever worn pants.

"Ok. That will work," Jack said approvingly. "Just one more thing. You're still a tad too pristine for the Nassau crowd," he said as he rubbed his fingers in some soot. Elsa fought back the urge to recoil he smeared the ashes on her face. The whole touching thing was still pretty new to her.

"Well? How do I look?" she asked. She tried to sound aloof, but a bit of her lingering insecurities crept into her voice.

"Awful. Just terrible," Jack deadpanned. Elsa giggled, just enough to make the pirate break into a grin. He rather liked the sound of her laughter. "Well, looks like the clothes fit anyway."

"Indeed. Perfectly in fact." Elsa suddenly became very suspicious. "Why do these fit so well?" she asked.

"I've got a pretty good eye," Jack said shrewdly. Elsa's cheeks achieved a brand new shade of pink.

##############################

Nassau was by far the strangest place Elsa had ever been. Ok, in fairness, Elsa had only been to two different places beforehand, but Nassau was definitely in a whole new category. Like King's Landing, and to a lesser extent Arendelle, Nassau's streets, if you could call them that, bustled with activity. That was where the similarities began and ended.

Nassau was just so…everything. Loud, warm, colorful, bright, and chaotic, Nassau overwhelmed Elsa's senses. Even the smells were particularly smelly, in every possible way. From sweet smelling tropical fruit to fish that clearly had been in the sun too long, the city gave Elsa a whole new appreciation of just how sheltered she had been.

By far the strangest thing of all was the sheer exhilaration that came when a stranger bumped into her and yelled, "Watch where you're going!" talking to her like he had no idea she was the queen of anything. _They have no idea who I am._ The thought made her giddy.

Jack took note of how the tension seemed to leave Elsa's shoulders as they meandered through the city. He was glad of it. The poor woman was a nervous wreck, barely sleeping at all over the last forty-eight hours. He was kind of amazed that she was still standing.

She seemed to be on the lookout for something in particular, scanning the various shops and stalls as they walked down the street. Occasionally, she would fiddle with the roll of parchment she kept clenched tightly in her fist.

"Looking for something, love?" Jack asked.

"I need to send a letter," Elsa said plainly.

"Ok."

Elsa was not particularly proud of what she had to say next. "How do you send a letter?" she asked reluctantly. Jack stared at her, perplexed. "Look, I've never sent a letter, ok? Kai or one of the other servants always brought my letters to the letter…sender…person."

"The postman."

"Yes, the postman," Elsa said crossly.

"Well then, right this way love," Jack said.

They came to a large shack filled with several dozen birds. They made all made a cooing sound, bobbing their heads curiously as Elsa and Jack approached their cages. A man with a number of white spots on his jacket sat at a stool in front of the shack.

"Delivery or pickup?" the man on the stool asked.

"Delivery," Elsa replied.

"Where to?"

"Arendelle."

"Fifteen pence." He held out his hand expectantly. Elsa blanched. Apparently the pigeon man was expecting payment. Jack helpfully fished through his pockets and provided a handful of copper coins. The man counted the coins, then dropped them in his pouch. He opened up the cage door and took out a small grey bird. He whispered to it as he attached the scroll to his leg, then tossed it into the air.

"Huh. Messenger birds. Who'd of thought?" Elsa said, impressed.

Jack shook his head. Sometimes he forgot that his partner in crime had spent the majority of her life in a castle. He decided he didn't envy her that. Not that his own life had been all that easy, far from it, but at least he'd gotten to see the world.

Still, there was something fun about watching Elsa explore the city. She was completely intrigued by things he found perfectly ordinary. She was still a bit nervous, but she seemed eager to explore. Jack tried to imagine what it was like, seeing papayas, fishmongers, and carrier pigeons for the first time.

They found their way to the Old Avery, an open air tavern close to the beach. Elsa was shocked by the mixture of sounds emanating from the establishment. Every few seconds there was a clatter, crinkle, and crash as plates, chairs, and pretty much anything not nailed down were used as an improvised weapons by the patrons. Jack didn't seem to notice or care, so Elsa followed suit.

A very large, bald man with dark skin was sitting at a table in the back, silently watching the brawl as Jack and Elsa walked over to him. He stood up as they approached his table, his eyes narrowed as he towered over them.

"Kenway. Long time no see," he said gruffly. His voice was deep, and he had an accent Elsa couldn't place, although it sounded similar to some of the other dark skinned islanders.

"Sanka," Jack replied curtly.

"So, what motivated you to crawl out of that hole you been wastin' away in?"

"Why, the thought of seeing your pretty face mate."

"Care to take this conversation to another location man?" the bigger man threatened.

"Least you could do is buy me a drink first."

Sanka broke first, his scowl twisting into a broad grin. "You a crazy man, you know that?" He laughed as he grabbed Jack by the shoulders, pulling the smaller man into a tight bear hug.

Jack awkwardly patted him on the back. "I prefer eccentric," he wheezed.

"So, how'd you get out my friend?" Sanka asked, dropping his friend.

"Had some help. May I introduce my accomplice? Sanka, Elsa. Elsa, Sanka," Jack said.

"How do you do?" Elsa said with a polite curtsey.

"The pleasure's all mine, milady," Sanka said warmly. Elsa blushed as he brought her hand to his lips.

"So Romeo, how fairs the Defiant?" Jack asked.

"She made it near the harbor," Sanka said sheepishly.

"But not in the harbor?"

"Sorry Captain. We're lucky we made it back at all."

"No worries mate," Jack said, patting his friend's shoulder. He'd miss the Defiant. She was a tough little ship, but her best days were behind her. "How quick can you get the men together?"

"'Bout an hour or so, why?"

"Got a new ship."

Sanka looked pleased. "Really? How'd you come by it?"

"Commandeered it, of course."

"Aye. And will her owner be looking for her?" Sanka asked.

"Fraid so. Here's a list. She'll need a fresh coat of paint along with that refit. Should be enough coin in the hold to cover the expenses," Jack explained.

"And will you be coming with us Miss Elsa?" Sanka asked.

"I will."

"Glad to hear it."

##############################

After a brief argument with the proprietor about the merits of a certain tropical bird that shall not be named, Jack and Elsa obtained lodging at an inn nearby the tavern. Despite the lumpiness of her mattress, Elsa fell asleep almost immediately.

Dark dreams plagued her. Anna waved at the docks desperately, her face fading into nothingness. She turned to find Logan advancing on her with a sword. Elsa tried to defend herself, but she could barely summon a puff of flurries. Logan stood over her, his face monstrous as black wings emerged from his back, and green flame consumed them all.

Elsa woke to find her entire room encased in ice. Ashamed and frustrated, she focused on her sister's face, willing the ice to dissipate. Once the room cleared, she tucked her knees into her chest, her shaking having nothing to do with the temperature.

She heard a pitter patter across the wooden floor. As she looked up, a furry face looked back at her, the little rat's paws clenched together with worry.

"I'm alright," Elsa said, feeling a little ridiculous as she talked to the rodent. "It's alright." Still, she did feel better. Satisfied, Remy curled up at the foot of Elsa's bed. She rubbed his ears with her fingertip, then slid back under the covers. It took a bit longer for her to fall asleep this time, but there were no more dreams.

##############################

Elsa woke up late in the day. A note was attached to Jack's door, written in an untidy scrawl.

_Elsa,_

_Went shopping. Find you later. Keep your head down. No magic tricks._

_Jack_

It made her nervous, the idea of being in a strange place by herself. Of course, she wasn't completely alone. Remy was snoozing away in her coat pocket, quite confident that he'd won the queen's affection.

Jack had already settle up with the innkeeper, so Elsa decided to wander for a bit. She watched the interactions of the town folk for hours. She stared, fascinated as a young man told an elaborate story about his sister's head injury while a monkey made off with half his wares. She realized she probably should have interceded in the theft, but she had never seen a monkey before, let alone one capable of petty larceny.

She found her way back to the docks in the early evening, spotting the Jolly Roger amidst the mass of ships. Jack and Sanka were directing traffic on the deck as few groups of men brought a variety of crates on board. Others were busy painting. The blood red paint had been stripped away and a light blue coat was overtaking the hull.

_Guess I'm not the only one getting a makeover._

She heard the yelling first, before she smelled the smoke and saw the flames. Bright orange light mixed with green flickered from inside a shanty, the first in a row that stretched down the entire block. It was hot and dry, perfect conditions for the entire block to go up in flames. A dozen people were about to watch their homes and businesses burn to the ground.

Without thinking, sprinted toward the fire. She blasted the opening with an arctic gale, encasing the entire building in a thick layer of snow, smothering the flames. Thin jets of steam erupted from the white powder, but another wave of icy magic put the flames down for good.

The crowd stared in awe, an unnatural quiet washing over the block. Elsa's relief turned to panic the moment the whispers began.

"It's the Snow Queen!"

"What's she doing here?"

Pretty soon they weren't bothering to whisper anymore. Elsa came close to running up the nearest mountain she could find, until she listened to what they were actually saying.

"She put out the fire, just like that."

"She's amazing."

"She saved my home!"

A strange warmth radiated from Elsa's chest, similar to what she'd felt that day on the fjord, but unique in its own right. People surrounded her, eager to express their gratitude. She must have shaken hands with thirty people before the crowd let up.

Jack was shaking his head as he approached her, but he was unable to mask his grin. "I ask you to do one thing," he admonished.

"I know. I guess I blew my cover, didn't I?" Elsa said sheepishly.

"Eh. Worth it."

##############################

The celebration continued into the night, with the rest of the crew joining Jack, Elsa, and Sanka at the Old Avery. A rough carving of a snowflake adorned Elsa's neck, with the words _Nassau Fire Brigade_ etched onto the front. Elsa was reluctant to participate at first, but when she reminded herself of what Anna would do in her place, she decided to try having a little fun.

All of the men, and many of the women were eager to dance with the young queen. And by dance, they meant twirl, jump, skip, and summersault, rarely keeping two feet on the ground. Dancing in the tropics was far cry from the elegant and elaborate ballet that was the staple of aristocracy. This was far more wild and improvisational.

Jack and Sanka took a seat at one of the tables, spreading a map across the surface. The parchment was crinked and worn after being folded and unfolded, rolled and unrolled many times, but it also contained several years' worth of notes and doodles. Sanka swore by this map, and it hadn't let him down yet.

"So Captain, where we headin?" Sanka asked.

"Arendelle," Jack replied.

"Arendelle? That's a long way to sail through unfriendly waters," Sanka said with a frown, tracing a course across the map to the tiny kingdom.

"Indeed." Jack looked up at the parchment, smiling when he saw that Elsa had finally acquiesced to one of the villager's dance invitation.

"Might it have anything to do with the young lady that bears the name and likeness of the Queen of Arendelle?" Sanka asked shrewdly.

"It might."

Sanka said nothing. He merely crossed his arms as he leaned back, watching his captain intently.

"What?" Jack asked irritably.

"I didn't say anything."

"I owe her a debt. If it weren't for her, I'd still be rotting away in prison, or worse."

"So, you're just settling up then?" Sanka asked pointedly.

"Yeah," Jack said quietly, his eyes glancing up at Elsa again. "Just settling up."

He stood up from the table, deciding to rescue Elsa from a rather rotund couple that had taken it upon themselves to spin her around in circles indefinitely. She slipped out of their grip, her inertia carrying her across the dance floor and into Jack, who managed barely managed to catch her without being knocked over.

"Having fun?" he asked.

"I am. This is quite the lively party," Elsa replied with a smile.

"Bit different from the ballroom scene, eh?"

"Very different. But it's a good different."

They rejoined the rest of the crowd, a slight skip in their step as they danced.

"I don't usually dance," Elsa admitted.

"Why the change of heart?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. This place, I guess. These people, they barely know me, and yet they treat me like I'm one of them. How is that possible?"

"Well, you did keep the city from burning down. That's bound to earn a few points."

"Back home, I'm the Queen, or Queen Elsa, the Snow Queen, or Your Highness, Your Majesty, Your Grace. It seems like I never get to just be Elsa," Elsa explained. "I try to reach out, I do. People just treat me like I'm…untouchable." _Like I'll break…or I'll break them._ Jack nodded, understanding that it was possible to be surrounded by people and still be lonely.

Elsa continued. "Sometimes I wish I was more like Anna. Seriously, any person that spends more than five minutes with my sister without becoming her best friend has something very wrong with them. People are able to forget she's a princess. She's just, Anna."

"It isn't easy for you, is it? Letting people in, is it?" Jack asked.

"I haven't had a lot of practice. I'm trying," Elsa insisted. "Sometimes I feel like I just don't know how."

"Well, I'd say you're off to a pretty good start."

Elsa realized just how close she was to Jack at this particular moment, closer than she'd been to anyone, save for her sister, for any length of time. She suddenly felt very warm, in spite of the cool ocean breeze. She wasn't used to this, used to any of it, especially having someone look at her the way Jack was looking at her right now.

"Um, Elsa?" Jack asked gently. Frost was starting to coat his fingertips.

"Sorry, sorry," Elsa cringed, pulling her hand out of Jack's.

"Hey. No worries love. Trust me, that was not my worst case of frostbite. This one time…"

A single gunshot rang through the air, followed by a scream.


	6. The Queen's Gambit

Chapter 6 – The Queen's Gambit

**Author's Note: First, I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback I've received so far. Your encouragement and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. **

**To me, the most important, and consequently the hardest part of writing this story is making sure I get Elsa right. She gets far less screen time than Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven, but she's arguably the most complex, interesting, and compelling character in the movie and the main reason why Frozen stuck with me. I'm trying my best to show and not tell when it comes to the writing, but since this is by far the most ambitious fictional writing endeavor I've attempted, I want to make sure I'm staying on course, so to speak.**

**I think in many ways Elsa is far more like Anna than even she fully appreciates, but thirteen years of suppressing her emotions have severely stifled her ability to express herself and reach out to people. I think she wants to, but lacks skill, practice, and confidence, and there are some deep seated insecurities she'll need to overcome before she's able to do so. Social anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress to name a few. Anyway, that's my interpretation. Let me know if you think I'm on track or if I've gone down a rabbit hole.**

**Some quick admin notes. I'm glad you guys have been picking up on the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) references to the rest of the Disney canon, as well as the occasional irreverent reference to other fandoms. Thus far we have: Game of Thrones, Fable, Disney Infinity, Sleeping Beauty, Ratatouille, Wicked, Pirates of the Caribbean, Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Red vs. Blue, Assassin's Creed, Star Trek, and Cool Runnings. So far.**

**That's all I have for the moment. Your reviews make all the difference in the world, so please keep at it. Thanks for all the support. Enjoy.**

##############################

The acrid stench of burnt gunpowder hung in the air, smoke wafting over the partygoers. The crowd parted as a familiar and unwelcome face entered their midst. The white plume was visible first, followed by the blood red brim and thick black mane of hair. It cascaded down his shoulders, framing his weathered face and steely eyes. A perfectly curled moustache hovered over a wide, but cruel smile.

A small compliment of red coats accompanied the flamboyant pirate into the establishment, each soldier pointing either a sword or musket trained at the crowd.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," Hook said, bowing with melodramatic flourish, the smoking pistol still in his hand. "So kind of you to throw a party in my honor. Sadly, I seem to have misplaced my invitation."

Jack quickly and discretely slipped to an empty table. He took of his hat, pressing it firmly down on Elsa's head. He locked eyes with Elsa and brought a finger to his lips. Once he was understood, he stood in front of the table, subtly obscuring the queen from view.

"No matter," Hook continued. "I'm here on business I'm afraid." He walked over to a nearby patron, whose eyes darted back and for the between the pirate's eyes and his hook.

"I am looking for a sorceress. She's about, yea tall," he explained, pressing down on the poor man's head with the point of his hook, forcing him to stoop down to the appropriate height. "Blonde hair. Fair skin. A rather icy disposition. Ringing any bells?"

He walked around the bar, scanning the customers faces. A few flinched as he passed by, but for the most part their faces remained blank. Irritated, he strode over the blackboard above the part, which currently had a list drink and food prices neatly written in chalk. He smeared the board with the back of his sleeve, then crudely carved "100" into the surface, a horrible screech piercing the air as metal ground against stone.

"One hundred doubloons for the first man or woman with information on the whereabouts of ice witch." Hook announced.

Jack grimaced at this. His own crew he could count on, but he didn't know if Elsa's heroics had earned her that degree of loyalty from the townsfolk. Truth be told, he didn't have that much faith in humanity.

Still, the crowd stared in stony silence. Hook's patience was waning. "Anyone? Anyone at all?" he pressed. Nothing. "You know, it's very odd how quickly that fire went out," the old pirate mused. "Scarcely any damage at all. Downright miraculous. It'd be a shame if there were any more…accidents."

The thinly veiled innuendo was not lost on Elsa. He knew she was in Nassau. She pulled Jack's hat down tight around her ears, tucking the blonde strands under the brim.

"Tick, tock people. I haven't got all day," Hook jeered.

As if on cue, a faint ticking sound penetrated the silence. Hook's face contorted, a mixture of terror and rage. His eye twitched as the sound grew louder.

"Where is it!" he raged, his voice shrill. "Where is that infernal contraption!" He scoured the pub hysterically, succumbing to nothing short of a violent tantrum. The fearsome pirate suddenly seemed a lot less terrifying and lot more ridiculous. Sanka was the first to chuckle, followed by a few of the other patrons. The laughter grew as Hook became more unhinged, the entire establishment breaking into an uproar.

Hook finally found the menace, squashed under the hat of a short, giggling deck hand. Hook growled as he snatched the clock up with his hook. He aimed a pistol at the face and fired, disintegrating the timepiece.

"Sounds like it's time for you to go mate," Sanka said, a trace of the mirth still in his voice. "Tick, tock." That got a few more laughs from the group.

"Hilarious," Hook replied drily. "But make no mistake. You're all living on borrowed time. Enjoy it while it lasts."

With that, he strode out of the Old Avery, taking the squad of redcoats with him. Jack let out the breath he'd been holding for the last several minute and sank into the chair next to Elsa.

"Who was that?" the queen asked.

"That would be Captain James Hook. Used to be the most feared pirate to ever sail these waters," Jack replied.

"Used to be?"

"Couple of years ago, Logan offered a pardon to any pirate willing to do his dirty work. Looks like Hook took him up on it. If he's here, the Royal Navy won't be far behind."

"Do you think he started the fire?" Elsa asked.

Jack nodded. "I'm sure of it. Got a nasty habit of turnin' people's kindness against them. And I wager he'll do a lot worse if he thinks it'll get him his prize."

"Captain," Sanka called. "Corporal Simmons reports two schooners flying Westland colors anchored outside the harbor."

"Not much of a blockade," Jack said thoughtfully.

"Others will join them," Sanka replied grimly.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Elsa asked.

"Aye. Hook doesn't have the men to take control of the island, or he'd have done so. I'd wager he's waiting on us to make the first move, catch us at sea where he has the advantage," Jack explained.

"We can't stay," Elsa insisted. "If Hook knows I'm here, he'll send for more ships. My ice isn't going to last forever."

"Indeed."

"So, what do we do?" Sanka asked.

"Only thing we can do. Spring the trap."

##############################

Two weeks. It had been almost two weeks and the only word from Elsa were a pair of letters that weren't actually from Elsa. The first was a brief note from the harbormaster at King's Landing stating that the Sherwood had arrived at port on schedule. The second was a letter addressed directly to Anna from King Logan himself, stating that Elsa had elected to extend her stay indefinitely.

"It just doesn't make sense. Why would she change her plans? Why wouldn't she write to me?" Anna wondered for the fifty-seventh time aloud.

Kristoff privately agreed with her, but decided that further conjecture would only serve to intensify Anna's fears. "It's weird, there's no doubt about that," he admitted. "But until we know more, there's not use freaking out about it."

"What if she's sick? What if she's hurt? What if she got eaten by a sea monster?" Anna speculated wildly.

"If she was sick or injured they would have written to us. And there's no such thing as sea monsters," Kristoff said patiently.

"You don't know. My sister has ice magic and you were raised by trolls," Anna retorted.

"So?"

"So there's all kinds of strange things in the world. Not that Elsa's strange," she rambled, realizing that she had inadvertently compared her sister and her boyfriend's family to a sea monster. "She's just different. A good different. And your family, well, ok they're a little odd, but in a good way."

"I know what you mean. And I'm sure Elsa's fine. Any time now you're going to see her ship gliding into the harbor and you're officially not paying attention anymore," Kristoff trailed off. Anna stood transfixed by the window for a few moments, then bolted out of the room, sprinting her way through the hall.

Kristoff's annoyance gave way to relief. A familiar ship was indeed entering the fjord, on its way to the docks. He took off after her, following the trail of debris that Hurricane Anna left in her wake. He stopped by the kitchen to pick up his bribe, then made his way to the stables to find his oldest friend.

Kristoff caught up with the now exhausted princess just outside the port and hoisted her onto Sven's back. It wasn't exactly the most dignified greeting party ever, but at least they were there early.

Half an hour later, the Sherwood tied down at the docks. Anna jumped up and down like a child on Christmas morning as the sailors made their way to the pier. Olaf waved eagerly as he waddled down the plank, giving Sven an affectionate scratch as he joined the group. The reindeer already had a bounty of carrots at his disposal, but that didn't stop him from taking a nip at Olaf's nose.

As happy as Anna was to see her snowy friend, her good cheer started to fade as Elsa failed to disembark. She stood on her tip toes, peering over the railings for her sister, but her blonde hair and glittering blue gown failed to materialize. She heard Olaf mention something about flowers and sweaty men, but he didn't catch her full attention until she heard the word _wedding_.

"Wedding? What wedding?" Anna asked sharply.

"Elsa's wedding silly," Olaf said cheerily. "Now, I've been trying to think of what to get her. Your sister's kind of hard to shop for, what with her being the queen and all. I mean, what do you get for someone who already has everything? I was thinking a book. She seems to like books. Could you take me shopping? I'm not really solid on the whole reading thing yet."

Anna wasn't quite sure which emotion she was going to go with. There was shock, joy, confusion, righteous indignation, any of these were good candidates. She decided to postpone her reaction until she got a little more information.

"What exactly did Elsa say to you Olaf?" Anna asked.

"She said to tell you and Hans that there would be plenty of flowers," Olaf reported.

"'Me and Hans?" Anna asked sharply.

"Uh huh. Do you think she hit her head or something? She was acting really weird. If I didn't know any better…" Olaf exclaimed.

"…you'd say she's in trouble," Kristoff finished. He turned to face Anna, and was alarmed to find her eerily still quiet. Anna was dangerous when she was quiet.

"Load it back up guys," Kristoff said to the sailors with a weary sigh. "Looks like we're going on a trip."

##############################

Elsa and the others made their way back to the ship, careful to take note of anyone or anything that seemed out of place. Though the people of Nassau had not sold her out, it was fair to assume that there were spies among the villagers, dutifully reporting any activity to their master.

Elsa carefully placed herself in the middle of the crew, silently cursing the fact that, despite her more subtle attire, she didn't exactly blend in with the rest of the group. While not as overtly flattering as her ice dress, her pirate ensemble still managed to subtly compliment her femininity rather than detract from it. _No hiding these hips I guess_.

Her paranoia ebbed a bit as she approached the docks, giving way to admiration as she observed the ship's transformation. The horrible gleaming skull was gone, replaced with simple wooden planks. An elegant shade of blue covered the hull, contrasted by the natural wood of the trim. The words _Queen's Gambit_ appeared on the side in white, the stylish lettering causing Elsa to grin in spite of herself.

"What do you think?" Jack asked.

"It's a little on the nose, isn't it?" Elsa asked with a wry smile.

"You don't get a lot of points for subtlety in my line of work love."

"Don't worry. Subtlety is the very last thing I would accuse you of Captain Kenway."

"Why Queen Elsa, I believe that was a joke," Jack said, feigning astonishment.

"What can I say? I guess I'm just full of surprises."

The crew finished loading and prepping the ship quickly. The twin Westland ships held their position, out of gun range but close enough to monitor activity on the docks. The lookouts on each ship stared each other down, daring one another to move make the first move. Elsa considered trying to freeze the two ships in place, but attempting to do so would confirm her presence on the island. Despite her promise to Anna, she wasn't really sure she would be able to freeze the ocean, although a part of her wondered and worried that she could.

Sanka gathered the crew to the deck for the captain's address. Jack stood behind the wheel, with Elsa and Sanka at his side. He took off his hat and placed it against his chest. The crew cheered as he bowed low, rising back up with a broad grin.

"Thank you, thank you," Jack said warmly. "I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to find myself in your esteemed company once again. I can say with all honesty that this is the finest bunch of criminals that ever sailed the seven seas." He paused, smiling as the crew cheered once again.

"Now, for those of you who do not already know, we have a very special addition to the crew. Not you mate," he said apologetically as Graf pointed to himself excitedly. Grif's face fell as the crew chuckled at his expense. "Ahem. Some of you know her as Queen Elsa. Some of you know her as the Snow Queen. Some of you know her the gorgeous young lass that single-handedly saved Nassau from burning to a crisp and that absolutely none of you have a shot with." Elsa's face achieved a new shade of red at this last comment.

Jack continued, with all the subtlety of a jousting announcer. "Me, I know her as best friend and partner-on-crime a pirate could ever ask for. Ladies and gents, I give you the mystical, the infamous, the amazing Elsa of Arendelle."

Elsa waved shyly as the crew applauded, her grin growing wider as their enthusiasm grew. Before her adventure in the Westlands, her accomplishments consisted of being crowned, running away from said crown, freezing the kingdom, and unfreezing the kingdom. It was one thing to be respected as a monarch. It was another to be embraced as a friend.

"Now, Elsa's needin' to get back home and Logan means to keep her from it. As you may have gleaned from the illustrious former captain of this fine vessel, Hook's on the hunt and he's got the Royal Navy at his beck and call. If any of you feel that you'd be better off staying at port, now's the time to get off," Jack explained.

No one budged. Elsa smiled.

##############################

James Hook was smiling too, but his eyes lacked the same warmth Elsa's possessed. He watched the silent pocket watch that dangled from his hook carefully. His distaste for clocks only extended to the insidious ticking variety. He actually found timepieces useful as a rule. After all, timing is everything. As if on cue, a pair of soaking wet sailors climbed up the side and onto the deck, seemingly relieved of their burden.

"I take it my little present was delivered on schedule?"

"Aye Captain," one of the sailors replied. "Wrapped up nice and tidy."

"And you weren't seen?" Hook pressed.

"Nope. Nice and quiet, just like you said."

"Good form lads. Good form," Hook said delightedly.

"Orders Captain?" the helmsman asked.

"We wait," he replied, snapping the pocket watch shut. "Don't worry boys. It's gonna be one hell of a party."

##############################

The Queen's Gambit launched just after sunset. Jack thought it best to use the darkness to their advantage. The Westland ships would know they launched all the same, but it would be more difficult to predict their movements in the dark. Jack was not eager to get into a shooting match with the two schooners. The Gambit was more than a match in terms of firepower, but they still had to maneuver out of the shallows before they could effectively broadside. Still, if it came to a fight, they were ready.

As expected, the Westland schooners hauled up their anchors. They set a parallel course, maintaining their distance but remaining in visual range. That was no surprise by itself. Jack doubted the smaller Westland ships were eager to test the strength of their hulls.

Still, something was amiss. The schooners were lagging behind, barely making an effort to keep pace with the Gambit. Worry lines etched themselves in Jacky's face.

"Something wrong?" Elsa asked.

"They're not even trying to keep up. It's like they're waiting for something," Jack replied ominously.

The dark shadow of a nearby island blotted out the moonlight. Several such islands were spread around the vicinity of Nassau, but most were uninhabited. This one jutted high out of the water, the tall trees reaching skyward like a jagged obelisk.

"Once we clear the island, we can open up the sails. Perhaps then we can shake these scoundrels," Sanka said.

Jack said nothing, merely sharing a look with Elsa. Neither seemed optimistic that things would be that simple.

"Nothing more stressful than waiting, is there?" Elsa said quietly. She'd had more than her fair share of waiting in her life. Waiting for her unconscious sister to wake up. Waiting for her unruly powers to fall in line. Waiting for her parents.

Unfortunately, Elsa's theory on stress was about to be put to a spectacular test as the clock in cabin gently chimed in the midnight hour. At the very same moment, another timepiece reached the same conclusion.

The explosion sent the Queen's Gambit reeling, a geyser of steam and flame shooting up the port side. Elsa and Sanka fell to the deck as the ship listed heavily. Jack barely remained upright, gripping the wheel tightly as he tried to retain control of the ship.

The ship shifted back and forth as it slowly righted itself, the crew getting back on their feet. Alarmingly, the mast still dipped to the left somewhat. Sanka's expression turned to a scowl as he assessed the damage.

"How bad is it?" Jack asked.

"We're takin' on water Captain. Slimy devil must've strapped a bomb to the hull, just below the waterline," Sanka growled.

Elsa shuddered at this revelation. Two great stone slabs appeared in her mind's eye, the phrase _taken by the sea_ echoing in her thoughts. She couldn't help but picture a third one joining it, Anna weeping before it, alone.

A new shadow emerged off the coast of the island. Elsa was the first to spot it. "Jack," she said numbly. She pointed off the starboard side, her eyes wide, her face pale and clammy. Jack cursed under his breath as the bow of a much, much larger ship emerged from the island's silhouette.

"Well that's not good," he muttered dully.

A flash of light and thunder boomed from the massive ship's deck. They were still out of cannon range, but they were close enough for something else.

"Hit the deck!" Jack bellowed.

Man-made comets streaked down from the heavens, bombarding the sea around the Gambit. One punched through the fore sail and into the deck, disintegrating the wood as it smashed into the floor.

"Oi! I just paid for that!" Sanka yelled at the offending mortars.

All three Westland ships began to close in on the disabled frigate. The ship continued to dip to the left as water continued to flood the hull. The massive battleship fired another mortar barrage. By some small miracle, this volley fell short, though the ocean spray was still far too close for comfort.

"Ok love, I'd say it's as good a time as any for you to whip up one of your magic tricks," Jack said humorlessly. When she failed to respond, he truly began to worry. "Elsa?"

Elsa was staring at her hands, which were shaking badly. She seemed to be staring right through them, through the deck of the ship, all the way down into the water below. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, and a small mass of flurries danced violently around her as jagged tendrils of ice penetrated the deck at her feet. Jack tried again in vain to get Elsa's attention, but she seemed possessed, her mind trapped in a dark, distant place.

_Knock, knock, knock. _

"_Elsa?"_

_Anna's voice sounded so small._

"_Please, I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been," she asked quietly. "They say 'have courage,' and I'm trying to. I'm right out here for you. Just let me in."_

_Elsa heard her sister slump to the floor on the other side of the door. She squeezed herself tightly, trying desperately to make the world silent and still. "We only have each other," Anna continued miserably. "It's just you and me. What are we gonna do?"_

_Elsa shut her eyes tight and tucked her head into her knees, still trying in vain to shut the world out. _

"_Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

_But there was only pain._

##############################

Hook had to admit, he found himself…disappointed with the latest turn of events. Granted, his plan had gone off without a hitch. The bomb had detonated right on cue. Their ship was disabled, surrounded, and completely defenseless.

That was the part that irked him. It was all too easy. He was expecting at least a little fight from the legendary Snow Queen. Where was the girl that escaped Logan's custom made prison, fought through an entire legion of his best troops? What happened to the sorceress that froze half of King's Landing?

"Fire another volley," Hook said with a sigh. He was hoping for a little excitement on this job. The melancholy that plagued him was working its way to the surface again. Was it too much to ask that the winter witch put up a fight?

"Captain, ain't we s'posed to bring her back, you know, alive?" one of the crewmen asked.

"Really?" Hook replied with indifference. "Must've slipped my mind."

##############################

"Elsa!"

Jack was screaming at this point. The last barrage had hit the mark, multiple mortars falling from the heavens and slamming into the deck. The wood split as the metal ball penetrated the planks, an angry gash of buckled timbers marring the previously smooth surface.

"Elsa, you have to do something," Jack pleaded.

"I can't," she whispered.

"You have to!"

"I CAN'T!" she screamed. Why couldn't she make him understand? She wasn't a hero. Didn't he know? Didn't they all know? Anna was the fearless one. Anna was the one that took action. Elsa was the one that hid. Elsa was the one that ran. Elsa…Elsa was a coward.

"I can't. I can't control it. I can barely hold it in. If I let it go, I'll freeze everything, everyone!"

_The wintery tempest howled with hurricane force, blinding her to everything, save the figure clad in green that stood before her._

"_Your sister is dead…because of you."_

_The tempest dissipated in an instant as Elsa dropped to her knees. She felt cold for the first time in her life, the very blood freezing in her veins. She heard the sword emerge from its scabbard, heard the footsteps on the ice as her would be assassin approached. She didn't move. She no longer cared. Until, that is, she heard a final cry from her braver and infinitely better sister._

_An icy statue stood in the once vibrant Anna's place, her hand outstretched, stopping the blow that by all rights should have come._

"Elsa, please," Jack begged. Elsa recoiled as he attempted to take her hands into his own.

"No! Don't touch me. I don't wanna hurt you," she whimpered.

"You're not gonna hurt me love. You're not."

"I can't do this. I'm not brave like you or Anna. I'll only make it worse," Elsa insisted.

"Being brave ain't about being fearless love. It's about being terrified, but deciding something else is more important. Elsa, I made you a promise, and I aim to keep it. I'm gonna get you home. But to do that, I need your help. Please," Jack asked softly.

Elsa looked back down at her hands. She knew what they were capable of. They could destroy. They could kill. The curse was certainly indiscriminate. But she also remembered snowball fights and ice skating, talking snowman and Anna's laughter. She wondered what she wouldn't give for one more day with the people she loved.

"I'll try."

She strode carefully to the port rail and after a moment's hesitation, fired a bolt of frost into the ocean. A small iceberg formed in the water, floating lazily behind the ship as it moved through the water. Satisfied, she gripped the rail tightly. Frost shot down the side of the ship, encapsulating the massive hole in a thick layer of water-tight ice. The ship gradually began to right itself once the damage was repaired and the excess water was drawn out of the bilge and into the icy patch.

She looked back over the stern. The two schooners were catching up quickly. The battleship lagged further behind, although it was closing the distance as well. She drew her hands together, channeling her magic into a ball of glowing blue snow suspended between her fingertips. The sphere shot into the air like a rocket, exploding into a thousand shards of blue light, shimmering in the night sky.

As they hit the water, each shard formed its own iceberg, each one considerably larger than her first shaky experiment. A field of floating obstacles separated the Westland ships from their quarry, appearing much faster and closer than they could anticipate. Both schooners turned, but one was too late, crashing into an iceberg with enough force to buckle the heavy oak inward.

"Sprung a leak, have you?" Sanka yelled in a mocking tone as the doomed ship's crew began scrambling to the deck. The remaining enemy ships broke off their pursuit, the distance rapidly growing between them and the Gambit.

"I did it," Elsa said, looking down at her hands in disbelief.

"Yeah, you did," Jack said warmly.

Elsa's relief gave way to guilt as she heard the shouts of the Westland crew as they abandoned ship. It was the third time Elsa had deliberately used her powers to hurt people and it hadn't gotten any easier. This feeling intensified as she surveyed the damage to her own ship. The Queen's Gambit was still afloat, but the mortars had left her with a few scars. None dead, thank goodness, but several of the crewmen required medical attention.

It could have easily gone the other way and Elsa knew it. If Jack hadn't snapped her out of her little freak-out, they'd all be at the bottom of the ocean right now. What kind of queen freezes up like that? What kind of leader is afraid all the time?

"Please excuse me," Elsa muttered, walking down the steps and into the captain's quarters. The look on her face was a little concerning. Jack started to follow her, but was stopped by a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Give her some time Captain," Sanka advised gently.

Privately, Jack wondered if time would really be any help. He knew that there are wounds that cannot be seen. He had a few of those himself, but he suspected that the young queen had far more than her fair share. He only hoped that this voyage would not add to her burdens, but he feared that was a promise he would not be able to keep.

"Bring us to full sail. Let's get some distance. We've got a long trip ahead of us."

##############################

Despite the temporary setback, Hook was pleased with the outcome. Sure, the Interceptor had been lost, but several pieces of valuable intelligence had been recovered in its place. He knew where the witch was, where she was headed, and most importantly, what she was capable of.

He also had a pretty good idea of what she was not capable of. Oddly enough, there wasn't a single casualty in the entire skirmish, unless of course, one counted the Interceptor's former captain. Such incompetence could not go unpunished after all, Hook mused as the officer's body was unceremoniously tossed overboard. It would be bad form. In any event, Hook figured it was safe to assume that the Snow Queen simply did not possess the stomach killing. Well, he thought as he blew the smoke away from his pistol, _all the better for me, and all the worse for her._


	7. Wildfire

Elsa barely heard the first knock at the door. The second shocked her a bit, the distinct shave and a haircut pattern startling her out of her introspection. She wasn't sure how much time had passed. She stared at the door for a moment, thinking back to her promise to Anna. Open doors. Granted, she'd made no such promise to Jack, but maybe it was time to start letting people in all the same.

She cleared her throat, then took a quick glance in the mirror, ensuring that there were no unnecessary streaks or smudges. No one needed to see that. "Come in," she said after a moment.

"Hi," Jack said sheepishly as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"Hi."

Jack looked about as awkward as Elsa felt. He clearly had something to say, but wasn't quite sure how to say it or how she would take it. It reminded Elsa of the time she took it upon herself to have "the talk" with Anna. Anna was such a good sport about it, quietly allowing her older sister to stumble her way through an ancient biology text for about five minutes before kindly informing her that she was, "well-versed, I mean not _that_ well-versed, but you know what I mean, I get the general mechanics of it, and don't worry, you won't be an aunt anytime soon." Somehow Elsa doubted the topic would be the finer points of intimate relationships.

Jack took a seat at the table, pointing at a spot on the map just to the east of Nassau. "So, we've struck out a decent lead on the Westland ships. We're not out of the woods yet by any means, but I think we've earned a bit of a breather. We've patched everyone up that needed mending, nothing too serious, just some bumps and bruises," he explained.

"I'm glad everyone is ok," Elsa said quietly.

"Me too," Jack replied. He paused for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Seemed like you were a bit out of it back there. Are you ok?"

"I think so. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Jack had some idea of what came over her. He didn't know the specifics, no longer trusting the rumors that filtered their way into the Westlands, but whatever it was, he knew it was painful. "You've had some pretty bad things happen to you, haven't you?" Jack asked delicately.

"Yes," Elsa replied simply. No point trying to conceal that.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Elsa was surprised to find that she did, in fact, want to talk about it. She had talked about it, at length, with Anna on several different occasions. It was one of the few times Anna was quiet and still, only interrupting to say, "It's ok," and hold her sister tight.

Elsa knew exactly how much Anna loved her. She'd seen it with her own eyes. And because Anna loved Elsa so much, she would always see the world through Elsa-tinted glasses. Elsa could always count on Anna for love and support, but perspective was something else altogether.

Jack was a friend, or something like that anyway, but he was also an outsider. His view would be objective, impartial. Maybe if she could explain to him the things that she had done, the mistakes she had made, maybe he would be able to give her some advice, help her not be so…helpless.

"Ok."

And so Elsa told the story of the little girl who could make it snow. How much she loved her sister, and how devastated she was when she nearly lost her to a freak accident. How her magic became a curse she hid from the world.

Elsa told him about the shipwreck that took her parents. How she became a queen and an exile on the same day. She told him how her sister braved the elements to find her while she hid away in the mountains. She told him about the second…accident. She told him about the men that came from her, how close she came to ending them. She told him about the dungeon, the cell that she never knew about, the one that seemed like it was custom made.

Elsa told him about Hans, his lies and her despair. How Anna stood between Elsa and the sword, even after everything she had done. She told him what it was like to lose everything, and how it felt to get it back.

Elsa's cheeks were wet by the time she finished her story, but she didn't care. Anna could never get enough credit for the things she had done. No amount of _thank you's_ or _I love you's_ could ever capture the depths of Elsa's gratitude. In spite of everything, it felt good to tell someone about it.

"You know, you might just be the bravest person I've ever met," Jack said after a moment's reflection.

Elsa was confused and a little annoyed. "I'm sorry, were you not paying attention?" she asked irritably. "Anna was the one who…"

"…put herself between a murdering prince and her sister? I know. She sounds amazing," Jack explained. "A lot like you."

"Like me?"

Jack shrugged. "Anna sacrificed herself to save you. And you did the same thing for her for thirteen years."

"I hid in my room for thirteen years," Elsa said flatly.

"Aye. And it takes a special kind of courage, to put someone else's need ahead of your own, every single day. Not a lot of people would do that."

"It's not the same."

"You're right, it's not," Jack admitted. "All I'm saying is, you've a lot more in common with your sister than you think."

For once, Elsa did not have a rebuttal to this argument. In fact, for the first time in forever, she was actually starting to believe it.

##############################

Elsa exited the cabin sometime after Jack, a little less raw and altogether better equipped to face other human beings. Not that Remy wasn't perfectly good company, but Elsa feared that if she spent too much time with only a rat for company, she might develop the unfortunate habit of vocalizing the animal's thoughts on his behalf.

She found Jack and several other members of the crew surrounding a heavy wooden crate, which had recently been hoisted up from the cargo hold. A crewman whose face she recognized from the bar, but whose name eluded her was busy forcing open the lid with an iron crowbar. Eventually the wood and nails gave way, revealing the contents to the surrounding crowd.

The box was filled with a bunch of green rocks. They were almost crystalline, with a sort of sickly sheen to them, softly glowing in the moonlight. Elsa wondered if they were valuable. They were too bright to be jade, but too dull to be emerald. Colored glass perhaps?

Elsa wrinkled her nose as she peered into the crate. There was a strong, oppressive odor to it. It made her eyes water, her nose and throat burn. The others had a similar reaction.

"Who in their right mind would bring wildfire on a bloomin' ship?" Simmons asked incredulously. Everyone else looked at him curiously. "What? You guys haven't heard of wildfire before?"

"What is it?" Elsa asked.

Simmons grimaced. "Nasty stuff. Here, let me show you," he explained, taking a crystal out of the crate. "I'm gonna need something flat and metal." A portly man wearing an apron produced a frying pan.

Simmons placed the crystal in the pan, then took out a flint and striker. One stroke was all it took. The crystal sparkled, erupting in bright green flame. The rock liquefied, coating the metal surface with molten fluid which bubbled and burned. The sailors backed away from the unnatural inferno, the heat quickly becoming overwhelming.

"Alright, I've seen enough. Put it out," Jack ordered.

"Um, it doesn't really go out. It just keeps burning. That's why they call it wildfire," Simmons said sheepishly.

Jack sighed. "Elsa? Do you mind?"

"On it." Elsa blasted the pan with a bolt of frost, kicking up a thick cloud of steam. Green light penetrated the fog, revealing a pan that was still very much on fire. Elsa's eyes widened, a mixture of confusion and alarm. "That's never happened before."

"Yes it has," Jack scowled. "The bars, back at the prison."

Elsa brought her hand to her mouth, the implications becoming clear. "Simmons, how much of this substance does Logan have?" she asked.

The former redcoat scratched his head. "Not sure. I heard Lord Revan's got a whole warehouse full of the stuff." The flames crackled as the dark iron of the pan began to glow faintly. At a loss for a better solution, Simmons tossed the pan over the side, eliciting a scowl from the ship's cook.

"Well, that explains how Hook made it to Nassau so quickly," Jack said.

Elsa nodded. "If they were able to cut through my ice with this wildfire, they may have been able to free the entire fleet by now."

"One frigate against a dozen warships. Can't say I like those odds Captain," Sanka said somberly.

Elsa stared down into the water. She could still make out the toxic green light beneath the waves. Suddenly home seemed a lot further away.

##############################

The Snow Queen's escape was a setback, there was no getting around that. But chess is a long game, and the loss of a queen, while problematic, did not mean that the game was over. Revan was used to long games.

After securing the door behind him, he stood before the ornate mirror hanging on his bedroom wall. He did not care to keep it where he slept, but few other locations were as free from prying eyes. He was not looking forward to this conversation, but he suspected that, phrased correctly, this hindrance could be interpreted as a boon.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am at your beck and call," Revan said theatrically.

A hollow mask appeared in place of Revan's reflection. It gave a curt nod, then vanished from sight. A moment later, another face occupied the mirror. She was beautiful in her own way, with high cheekbones and blood red lips. Her skin was pale, with a slight greenish hues, and the black horns that adorned her head accentuated her wicked beauty.

"What is thy bidding, my Mistress?" Revan said with a low bow.

"Stand up you insufferable little man. I grow tired of your simpering courtesies," Maleficent said haughtily. "Now, tell me about the Snow Queen."

"She is as powerful as you believed. The Eternal Winter that unbearable little duke was blathering on about was no exaggeration. I have seen her work first hand," Revan explained.

"And yet you lived to tell the tale?"

"Queen Elsa is many things Mistress, but a killer is not one of them. I fear she is too soft-hearted and too strong-willed to be persuaded to your way of thinking. Logan certainly had no luck with it."

"Have you managed to contain her then?"

Revan paused, choosing his words carefully. He opted for the direct approach. "Regrettably, no. She escaped Logan's custody a few days ago."

"What!" Maleficent roared. Green flames encircled her image.

"Fortunately, our dear King Logan was eager to set Captain Hook on her trail. The man may not be the most stable of individuals, but he's a good hunter and he is no longer in the unfortunate habit of taking prisoners," Revan explained.

"Is that supposed to bring me some comfort?" Maleficent inquired.

"Indeed. Regrettably, it is not so easy to murder a queen. One must establish the proper narrative. A poisoned apple leaves too many loose ends."

"I have no interest in your petty politics."

"An unfortunate necessity Mistress. My head must remain atop my shoulders if I am to continue to serve you."

Maleficent seemed mollified, at least for the moment. "Go on."

"Now, if Queen Elsa were, for example, kidnapped by pirates and lost at sea in a brave attempt by her darling fiancé to rescue her, well, the world would be far more understanding."

Maleficent considered this for a moment. The loss of the winter witch was regrettable. Magic of that caliber was a true rarity in the world. Still, if the Snow Queen was not a friend then that meant she was an enemy.

"You are taking an awful risk Revan. I hope it works out, for your sake."

##############################

Clarke, Headey, Dinklage, Waldau, Williams, Harington, Turner, Dormer, Allen, Gleeson, Leslie, McCann, Bean, Christie, Fairley, Glen, Houten, Pascal, Dance, Kekilli, Wright, Madden, Momoa, Gillen, Addy, Chaplin, Rheon, Naim, West, Flynn, Cunningham, Sangster, Dempsie, Huisman, Hill, Rigg, Free, Varma, Björnsson, Hughes, Jones, Pryce, Dillane, Siddig, Tena, Glover, Hivju, Lloyd, Murphy, Gatiss, and Bianco. These were the names Elsa had down so far, approximately one third of the crew.

Putting names to faces was one of the many tasks Elsa set herself to in order to pass the time as the Queen's Gambit made her way to Arendelle. Fortunately, Elsa had a good memory for faces, an essential skill for any monarch. Forgetting the name of a thin-skinned duchess could easily result in an international incident, so Elsa had cultivated this particular ability at a young age.

In addition to putting her underutilized social skills to work, Elsa also took it upon herself to learn all she could about sailing. Over ninety percent of Arendelle's trade was by sea after all. It made sense for the queen to have a solid understanding of maritime vernacular. Jack, ever helpful, assumed the role of tutor, quizzing her on the anatomy of the ship.

"What's that?" Jack asked, pointing high.

"The mizzenmast," Elsa replied.

"That."

"Bowsprit."

"That."

"Shroud."

"That."

"Swivel gun."

"What about this?" Jack said, tapping the spokes in his hands.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. "The wheel," she replied dryly.

Jack grinned. "Just checking. Not bad love. Not bad at all. We'll make a sailor out of you yet."

"Does that mean I get a hat?"

"Don't you have a crown?"

"I…misplaced it," Elsa muttered. That wasn't completely true. Marshmallow recovered the crown, a fact that she discovered the first time she revisited the North Mountain with Anna and Kristoff. She simply didn't have the heart to ask the snow golem to part with it.

"Seriously? Who misplaces a crown? Aren't they like, expensive or something?" Jack asked indignantly.

Elsa mumbled something unintelligible, but she was still smiling. In spite of the stress and worry, she found herself enjoying these times, the easy back and forth between her and Jack. He reminded her of Anna in a way. Nothing concealed, nothing hidden. What you see is what you get.

He wasn't afraid to touch her either. Little things, friendly gestures to most, like a brush on her arm or a gentle squeeze of a few fingers. Anna was the only human person that dared to be that intimate. Even Kristoff limited physical contact to a handshake or the occasional awkward hug.

The cold never bothered Elsa, but a chill that had nothing to do with the weather crept through her as she realized that the way she acted around Jack was a lot like the way Anna was around Kristoff. Not as bold of course, Anna was always bolder. But there was something there.

When she turned to face him, Elsa suddenly saw herself reflected in his eyes, and she knew, she _knew_ that Jack didn't see a queen or a witch or any other inaccurate or inadequate adjective anyone, Elsa included, had ever used to describe her.

Jack saw Elsa.

##############################

The Royal Postman was a pretty sweet gig, as far as jobs in the postal service go. Unlike the rest of his coworkers, Staffan had a single stop. Handling the official correspondence of Arendelle's royal family was a huge responsibility after all, and it just wouldn't do to have a letter addressed to the castle end up in the letterbox of a merchant or a farmer.

Speaking of the royal family, it seemed Princess Anna and the rather big fellow she spent much of her time with were at the docks as well. The blonde guy, Kristoffer or something, was helping a bunch of sailors carry a cannon onto one of the ships. Strange. Staffan could have sworn the big lug was a mountain man, not a sailor.

To be honest, Staffan did not particularly like Kristoffer. It was nothing personal, really. The man was simply an obstacle, a massive boulder perpetually standing between the young postman and eternal bliss. It was bad enough that Princess Anna was, well, a princess, and therefore completely unattainable. She was also fun, adventurous, beautiful, and just so _nice_, sweeter than Staffan's own mother. Of course, Princess Anna was nice to everybody, but he liked to imagine that she was particularly kind to him.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Staffan said with a shy wave.

"Hi Staffan," Anna replied warmly. "How are you?"

"Splendid. Just splendid. Going on a trip?" he inquired.

"Sort of. It's kind of hush hush. Secret mission, that sort of thing," Anna said cryptically. Staffan decided not to point out that it hardly counts as a secret if you tell the postman about it.

"I see. Mum's the word."

Anna smiled brightly, causing Staffan to melt just a little bit. "So, got any letters for me?" she asked.

"Probably. Can't peek in the bag though," Staffan said apologetically. "Got to take it straight to the castle. You know how it is."

Anna didn't really understand why the postman couldn't simply hand her a letter directly, but she assumed there was some sort of very important reason for it. Besides, it wasn't like she got very many letters anyway. She did get the occasional courtship letter herself, although they were far less enthusiastic than the ones addressed to her elder sister. Such was the life of the spare.

"That's ok. I've gotta get going anyway."

"Right. Secret mission."

"Right. It was nice seeing you," Anna said.

"You too," Stefan replied happily.

He decided to hang back for a bit, at least long enough to give Princess Anna a proper farewell. He waved excitedly as Anna and Olaf crossed the gangplank, talking animatedly about the first phase of their mission. He grinned as he watched the princess and her snowman friend wave goodbye. He skipped almost the whole way to the castle mailroom.

A few hours later, a letter bearing the queen's seal made it into the Prime Minister's hands. He slumped into his chair, suddenly feeling every day of the fifty years he'd spent on this planet. Arendelle and the Westlands were about to go to war. Andersen saw no way around it. Worse yet, it now seemed very likely that the crown princess would be among the first of their casualties.

##############################

**Author's Note: This chapter was tricky. As you may have guessed, I'm setting up for the end game here. The last few chapters have been bouncing around in my head for several months now and I want to make sure everything comes together smoothly. Once again, thanks for all your wonderful input. Also, bonus points if you can identify the source of the Gambit's crew names.**


	8. The Calm

**Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, and with a relatively short chapter as well. Life got a little crazy there for a while and making time to write just wasn't a priority. I will try to stay the course, but I'll be traveling soon, so I'm not sure how much time I'll have for writing while I'm on the road. **

**I wanted to give a special thank you to the wonderfully talented comickergirl for providing cover art for Frozen Seas. One last note, "The Fish of the Sea" is public domain and a traditional sea shanty. There's a fantastic rendition of it in Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag if you're not familiar with it. Please keep up the reviews, they motivate me like nothing else.**

##############################

Elsa bit her lip gently, one hand tucked in the crook of her arm as she looked around the deck. Most of the crew were busy with one task or another, but a few here and there were watching her expectantly. She looked over at Sanka, who gave her a quick nod.

Elsa cleared her throat, and in a strong, clear voice, began to sing.

"_Come all you young sailor men, listen to me,_

_I'll sing you a song of the fish in the sea;_

_And it's..._" she belted in mezzo soprano.

The rest of the crew joined her, with Elsa conducting in the middle, small wisps of icy magic flowing from her fingertips as she waved her hands through the air to the beat. Remy perched himself on her shoulder, mirroring her movements with his paws.

"_Windy weather, boys, stormy weather, boys,_

_When the wind blows, we're all together, boys;_

_Blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow,_

_Jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes," _they sang.

"_Then up jumps the shark with his nine rows of teeth,_

_Saying, 'You eat the dough, boys, and I'll eat the beef!'_

_And it's..." _Elsa continued with a broad grin.

"_Windy weather, boys, stormy weather, boys,_

_When the wind blows, we're all together, boys;_

_Blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow,_

_Jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes."_

This continued on for quite some time, with progressively more ludicrous aquatic wildlife being referenced in the verses. Eventually Elsa and the whole lot of them lost track of the music altogether, concluding the shanty with random laughter and applause.

"I think you missed your calling, Your Majesty. You've got a lovely voice," Sanka said amiably.

"Good to know I've got something to fall back on," Elsa replied.

"All hail Queen Elsa," Simmons chimed in. "Sovereign, sorceress and singing sensation all rolled into one. What do you think Captain?"

"Don't drag me into this mate," Jack said as he shook his head. "I think you're all barking mad."

##############################

Sailing was not Kristoff's strong suit. Not that anyone could blame him for it. The only time he'd been on a ship was the brief moments following the Great Thaw, when the deck of a trapped vessel rose up out of the ice encased fjord to catch them. Every now and then he thought about just how lucky it was that the six of them were standing on top of a submerged ship instead of out in the open water when Elsa discovered how to thaw the ice. The sisters' reunion would have been considerably damper otherwise.

That ship at least had the courtesy to remain relatively still after popping up out of the ice. The Sherwood on the other hand had the nasty habit of swaying from side to side, up and down, over and over and over and over again. Kristoff had never missed solid ground so much in his life.

Anna didn't seem particularly bothered by the infernal rocking, but she was sympathetic, gently rubbing Kristoff's back as his last three meals returned to the sea.

"Can I get you anything?" Anna asked sensitively. "Soup? Crackers?"

"I'm fine. Just getting my sea legs, that's all," he said weakly. His eyes widened, and he quickly bent back over the railing. "Huh. Were those radishes? I don't remember eating radishes."

"I'm just going to step in the cabin real quick, see if I can find you some medicine," Anna said. "I don't want to alarm you or anything, but I'm afraid if you keep throwing up like this, you might die."

"I'm ok with that, if it gets me off this stupid boat."

Sensing that her presence wasn't making much of a difference, Anna slipped into the cabin. She found Admiral Kirk glancing over several miniature wooden ships laid out across a map.

"Princess Anna," he said graciously. "I was just…going over our…battle strategy. What can I…do for you?"

Anna rather liked the old naval officer, even if his speech patterns were a little…weird. "Oh don't mind me Admiral. I'm just looking for some medicine for Kristoff. He's not really a boat person," she explained.

"Doc? Are you in here?" Kirk shouted.

"I told you sir, my name's DuFresne," a voice called back. Its owner walked into the room, a rather pallid looking man with greasy black hair.

"I'm not…going to remember that," the Admiral replies. "The princess…requires medicine for her…seasick beau."

"Sorry Your Highness. Only thing I've got is rum. And some oranges," DuFresne explained. "He doesn't have scurvy, does he?"

"I don't think so," Anna replied hesitantly. Granted, her knowledge of medicine was virtually non-existent, but DuFresne wasn't exactly inspiring a lot of confidence.

"I better give him the rum then," he decided, grabbing a jug of it and heading out the door.

"So is he a doctor?" Anna asked.

"No, he's a medic," the admiral replied.

"What's the difference?"

The difference, as Kristoff later discovered, was that doctors have years of medical training and study while medics…do not. And while the rum did little to settle his stomach, it did make him warm and sleepy. Now, if only he could get Anna and her blurry twin sister to stop shaking him.

##############################

Elsa liked the sea at night. It was quiet, with only the sound of the ocean spray lapping against the hull. The wind and the water reminded her that she could enjoy moments of quiet introspection without feeling isolated from the world. Castles tended to have to opposite effect. They were isolating by design.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jack offered with a smile, joining Elsa at the bow.

Elsa tried to return his smile, but a particularly disturbing thought had entered her mind, one that she was unable to shake. "Do you think I'm a good queen?" she asked.

"I don't know. Truth be told, I haven't really seen you do much queenin'," Jack replied with a shrug.

"Right. Of course. Stupid question." Elsa suddenly felt very foolish.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I know you'll give me an honest answer," she replied.

"Guess that's why they call me Honest Jack," Jack said sardonically.

"Who? Who calls you Honest Jack?"

"Plenty of people."

"Name one."

"Remy."

"Name one human person."

"I'll have to get back to you one that."

Elsa chuckled. Her doubts continued to linger, but she felt a bit lighter now, light enough to share them. "I could have been like him you know," she said abruptly.

"Who?" Jack asked. Elsa avoided his gaze, opting to stare out over the ocean instead.

"Logan."

"Logan? As in Mad King Logan? The guy who declared war on his own country, kidnapped the queen of another, then set a psychotic pirate armed with hellfire to rekidnap said queen, that Logan?"

"People make bad choices when they're afraid. Logan's been afraid for so long, he doesn't remember anything else. I understand what that's like. If things had gone differently, if Anna hadn't confronted me during the coronation ball. We could have gone on for years like that. I was so scared, every day I was terrified, that if I slipped up just once. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I know what it's like to think you're a monster."

"Perhaps. But actually being one, that's something else altogether," Jack replied. "Logan only ever cared about the idea of people, not people themselves. You hid from your people to protect them, and you ran when you couldn't hide any longer. Logan would see his people burn before he'd give his kingdom up."

"How do you know?" Elsa asked.

Jack shrugged. "I wasn't always a pirate, you know. Wore a red coat myself, once upon a time." That explained a lot.

"What happened?"

"Logan," Jack said ruefully. "We got orders to clamp down on smuggling. Lots of folks were sympathetic to the rebels, even in the early days. We'd fire a few warning shots, board and search the vessel, then escort her back to port. Simple. Well, one day I get a message from Admiral Beckett. Seems dear King Logan wanted to make an example of anyone providing aid and comfort to the enemy. No more warning shots. No more searches. Our orders were to shoot first and ask questions later. We were to open fire on sight, sink any ship suspected of carrying contraband and…leave the crew behind."

"But you didn't," Elsa pressed nervously.

Jack shook his head. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't do something like that and go to sleep at night, tell myself it was for king and country and that I was only following orders. So, I told my crew. Told them everything, and if they saw fit to throw me in the brig, I wouldn't put up a fight."

"I take it you didn't wind up in prison."

"No. Well, not then anyway. Seems they felt much the same as I did. So, we tossed our coats and our colors overboard and never looked back."

"And that's why you turned to piracy?" Elsa asked thoughtfully.

"We were wanted men as is," Jack explained. "Plus, we figured any man willing to do what Logan'd have him do wasn't worth shedding any tears over. Still, we spared them if they surrendered, not that they'd extend us the same courtesy."

"So you supported the rebels?"

"Aye. No tellin' whether Prince Phillip will be an improvement, but he can't do much worse than his brother, can he?"

"I suppose not."

They stood together in silence for a few minutes, both watching the reflected moonlight shimmer on the waves.

"Jack?"

"Mmmmhmm?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"Back at Nassau, you didn't have to put out that fire. You risked a lot, revealing yourself to a bunch of strangers, pirates at that. Any one of them coulda sold you out, but you did it anyway. Putting the needs of others ahead of your own. It's just what you do. I'm not sure if that makes you a good queen, but I'll tell you this much. You'd make a fine captain. I'd sail with you anywhere," Jack said sincerely.

A warmth spread through Elsa, one that she'd come to associate with Jack. She realized that he had just paid her the highest compliment he was capable of giving. She also realized that her fingers were intertwined with his and that she had not felt the impulse to pull away.

##############################

Mercifully, the worst of the seasickness had finally passed. Kristoff's solution to the problem, if you could call it a solution, was to simply abstain from eating anything at all. While this kept him from heaving, it also left him irritable. He'd gone on lengthy involuntary fasts before, but one of the fringe benefits of dating a princess was an inexhaustible food supply. Needless to say, he'd gotten a little complacent over the last year.

"Are we there yet?" he asked grumpily.

"I don't think so," Olaf replied. "I don't spy anything red yet. Oh, but I do spy something blue."

"Is it the ocean?" Kristoff said through gritted teeth.

"Uh huh. How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess."

Olaf decided that Kristoff was a much less enthusiastic participant in I Spy than Elsa or Anna. He left the malnourished mountain man to his own devices, wandering back the stern of the ship, where he found Anna and Admiral Kirk talking animatedly.

"Now, the…way I see it Princess, this is going to be…a very delicate…potentially dangerous mission. As such I…think we should…keep the landing party…down to a minimum. The team will consist of me, you, Kristoff, and Ensign Fritz."

The ensign in question tugged at his collar nervously.

"Hi Anna. Hi Kirk. Do you want to play a game?" Olaf asked.

"Maybe later little guy. We're kind of in the middle of something," Anna said patiently.

"Oh, ok." Disappointed, the snowman waddled idly toward the railing. He peered out toward the horizon, trying to spot something that wasn't blue. A broad grin plastered on his face when he succeeded.

"I spy something…brown," Olaf announced.

"Brown?" Anna asked quizzically

A pair of tiny ships materialized over the horizon. Admiral Kirk's expression turned grim when he scanned their masts with the small telescope he kept in his pocket. Red flags with golden lions adorned the top of each ship, the colors of the Westland navy.

##############################

"So you're telling me you made an entire castle out of ice?"

"It's true," Elsa confirmed. She recreated a miniature version of it on the deck. The moonlight dazzled in the magical crystal, scattering the light in all directions.

"Extraordinary. I'd love to see the original," Jack said.

"It's still up there, in the mountains. You're welcome to come and see it when we get to Arendelle. If you'd like to, that is. No pressure," Elsa said nervously.

"I'd like that," Jack said with a warm smile, setting Elsa at ease. "So, what was it like? Finally cutting loose after all those years?"

"For a while it was wonderful. Living in a world without rules. I could be myself without fear of hurting anyone. I could finally…let it go. Live like there was no tomorrow," Elsa sighed.

"No tomorrow, huh?"

Elsa nodded. "Of course, it wasn't real freedom. I was still hurting people, even if I didn't know it. And being away from Anna… The people we love, they make us who were are. They make us whole. I wish I'd known that sooner. That's the thing about tomorrow. It always comes."

"If you're lucky," Jack said softly.

Elsa looked at him curiously, wordlessly asking him to explain. He obliged her.

"There was a boy I knew, a long time ago. He was rather like your sister. A friend to all, especially lost boys like yours truly," Jack said fondly.

"What happened to him?"

"He grew up," Jack said sadly. "We all find a reason to eventually. It's like you said, tomorrow always comes."

"So, what would you do?" Elsa asked. "If there was no tomorrow, what would you do with today?"

Jack stared hard at Elsa, his eyes fixed and determined. "This," he whispered as he cupped her cheek, gently bringing his lips to meet hers. Elsa's breath caught as he kissed her ever so gently, her heart pounding in her ears.

"I…" she stammered as Jack slowly pulled away. "I'm the queen."

"Not here."

Elsa's eyes blazed, her resolve unwavering as she pulled Jack back in. She'd worry about the consequences later.

##############################

The thunder of fifty cannons boomed over the water as the Westland ships opened fire on the HMS Sherwood. Most of the shells landed short, although a few punched through the wooden hull, smashing the beams into splinters.

"Oh that is not cool," Anna fumed.

"Yeah, I'm new to this whole sailing thing, but I'm pretty sure that's the universal greeting when you don't like someone," Kristoff quipped. He held Anna close as they took cover from the volley.

"Fire!" Admiral Kirk bellowed. The Sherwood's guns echoed his command, slinging hot iron into the hull of the nearest enemy vessel.

"Princess Anna! You need to get inside, quickly!" Ensign Fritz cried, dragging the couple down below deck. The hold was nearly pitch black, save for the brand new windows created by the enemy schooner's guns. More beams of light cut through as another volley of cannon fire penetrated the hull.

"Stop blowing holes in things!" Anna shouted in anger and panic. She and Kristoff covered their ears as their own guns reverberated through the interior. They heard panicked shouts as something large and heavy crackled and groaned above, like a massive tree falling to the ground. White sail cloth flapped outside the window as what remained of the main mast dangled precariously over the starboard side.

"Kristoff?" Anna whimpered.

"Yeah?" Kristoff replied.

"I love you."

"I love you too."


End file.
